WorldStrides Updates

From CEO Jim Hall: Our Hometown

Dear Educators, Parents, and Students,

It was a disturbing and sad weekend here in WorldStrides’ hometown of Charlottesville. About 500 of our employees live and work here near our headquarters. To the best of my knowledge, all of our team members are safe, but for those of us who call this region home, it has been painful to watch violence and division brought to our normally peaceful and inclusive city.

I moved to Charlottesville and began working for WorldStrides 35 years ago this month. It has been an amazing place to live, work, and raise my children. Our office is in the city’s historic downtown and we are open today – part of a resilient community determined to re-establish a semblance of normalcy and the community that makes this a place we love.

Today especially, I find solace in the work that we do as an organization. We expose young people to new places, new ideas, new people, and new cultures.  Through that, I believe that we help them develop an understanding, appreciation, and love of diversity, and the richness that it brings to our lives.

My thoughts and prayers are for all of the people who were injured, both physically and emotionally, and especially for the family and friends of the three people who so unnecessarily lost their lives.

Jim Hall
President and CEO
WorldStrides