Imagine a classroom without markers, pens, and whiteboards. Imagine a classroom without questions, without aspirations, without free thought. This is no way to receive a good education, yet it’s a problem facing many students both domestically and internationally.

When underprivileged students are funneled through educational programs without opportunities to express, design and wonder, it doesn’t just hurt the students, but also make the entire society out of balance - poor people become more poor and rich people become more rich. Especially nowadays people are becoming more connected and if many individuals aren’t receiving a proper education, everyone is disadvantaged by the out of balance socio-economical statuses. That’s why it should disturb us when we find out about children that have never once seen a highlighter or challenged to think outside of the box.

And this is the problem that ICI sets out to remedy. ICI is a largely student-run organization that aims to teach students essential skills for a rapidly changing world. Equipped with school supplies, student mentors adept in a variety of fields ranging from robotics to writing teach other students the skills required to think big. ICI has visited many schools both down the road and on other continents. By providing resources to learn and grow we hope to not only empower the student, but also his or her classroom, community and beyond. Education is known to be a fundamental building block of the future.

Unfortunately for us here at ICI, finding student mentors or volunteers able to travel to rural locations can be difficult. That’s why we need your help. Any contribution helps, whether it’s an afternoon or a weeklong trip abroad. We need both supplies and manpower, so please consider joining our efforts. They need us. The world needs us. We need us.