OUR PURPOSE
GlobalMarketplace.org offers innovative educational programs that engage the heart for the betterment of the community. We educate children and adults to find spiritual solutions to material problems.
OUR VISION
We envision children growing up to reach their full spiritual potential and to become caring adults who serve their community with enthusiasm. We envision adults who develop an awareness of and respect for all people and who work to eliminate prejudice from their lives.
OUR MISSION
GlobalMarketplace.org is an educational 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1999 to provide opportunities for people to open their hearts toward creating a world of equality. Our mission is to provide thoughtful educational programs to improve the lives of children and adults by focusing on character development, racial healing and microcredit lending.
1. Rocklin Character Club
In today’s hectic society, children may not be learning healthy universal values and good character in school or at home. As a result, they may become self-centered, apathetic and disconnected, which can lead to anger, fear and possibly violent behavior. Stress can also make them more susceptible to drug or alcohol addiction.
One of our main programs to counter these issues is the Character Club program. The Character Club is a free after-school program for 9-12 year-old children that encourages great character development. The Character Club program uses stories, art, music and games to introduce and practice qualities like honesty, compassion, and teamwork. Through fun and games, the Character Club program offers an opportunity for children to deepen and recognize the qualities inherent in themselves and to discover the universal gifts of character that lie within. Values such as integrity, joyfulness, respect, and tactfulness are explored, defined and practiced in a fun, creative and organized atmosphere, which will help them to live their best lives ever. The weekly 10-week program includes a service project that the students and teachers organize and execute together.
A “special ingredient” of the Character Club program is our youthful teachers. Since young teens often look up to and imitate older teens, the students are guided by young teachers 18-28 years old who develop and bring out the good character inherent in young teens. In each class, there are two young teachers, one male and one female. They have been trained to assist the children in the development of their practice of values. The teachers are trained mentors who treat their students not as children but as equals. As a friend, the mentor helps to create an environment in which each group member feels comfortable expressing his or her thoughts, free from the fear of censure or ridicule.
2. Racial Healing Project
The Racial Healing Project is a program operated by Global Marketplace, a non-profit advocate for economic justice. We call this the Racial Healing Project because we believe racism is a disease and we all need to heal.
Global Marketplace is dedicated to achieving economic justice for everyone. Prejudice (and in particular racism) is one of the principle reasons many people cannot get a good education and then find productive work.
3. Microcredit Loan Fund
Our Microcredit Loan Fund is hosted by KIVA.org. Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 and based in San Francisco, with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. We celebrate and support people looking to create a better future for themselves, their families and their communities. By lending as little as $25 on Kiva, anyone can help a borrower start or grow a business, go to school, access clean energy or realize their potential. For some, it’s a matter of survival, for others it’s the fuel for a life-long ambition.
