About
World Class Scholars (WCS) is a global education platform on a mission to reinvent
learning for the digital age. Founded with a bold vision to democratize access to education,
WCS connects students and teachers in real-time across 100+ countries and over 1,000
schools, completely free of charge.
At the heart of WCS is a belief that education should no longer be limited by geography,
income, or language. As the world advances into an AI-powered future, traditional
education models remain outdated and inaccessible for millions. WCS is beginning to
break down barriers to education – with new developments in AI-enabled simultaneous
translation and personalized, adaptive learning pathways—delivering multilingual
experiences that are borderless, inclusive, and future-ready.
Headquarters
• Operational HQ: Dubai, UAE
• Administrative HQ: Charleston, SC, USA
• African HQ: Tamale, Ghana
Our Story
World Class Scholars (WCS) began as a bold idea to reimagine education for a globally connected world. Its origins trace back to early collaborations with the BBC, engaging global audiences of over 800 million people in 40 languages. From there, WCS partnered with MIT Media Lab and Google to develop and pilot an initial platform in 100 schools across 26 countries.
Building on this foundation, Microsoft developed and funded the current WCS platform, enabling its global launch as one of only 16 NGOs selected as an Official Participant at Expo 2020 Dubai—alongside major institutions like the UN, EU, and GCC. This recognition affirmed WCS’s position as a leader in global education innovation.
Today, WCS is active in more than 1,000 schools across 100+ countries, offering a free, AI-powered, multilingual platform that connects students and teachers worldwide. It fosters cultural understanding, collaboration, and critical future-ready skills through virtual global classrooms and real-time learning exchanges.
Looking ahead, WCS aims to reach 1 billion students and 25 million teachers over the next 5–7 years through initiatives such as mobile-first learning, vocational certification, and real-time language translation—removing barriers to education and building a truly global learning community.
We are grateful to all our past and present partners who have contributed to our success along the way.
How It Works
It’s all about the teachers. WCS has been designed, tested and perfected with teachers in dozens of classrooms around the world.
WCS is designed for all grade levels, subjects areas, countries and types of technologies.
Get all the details here from the Teacher Handbook
Everything you need to know in easy step-by-step directions.
Teacher Handbook
The Benefits
with a Partner Teacher around the world.
Teachers and students from all over the world will connect with other classes in real-time using a standard internet connection.
Schools from different countries collaborate online and learn with simple fill-in-the-blank lesson plans and projects that teachers develop together. The students will learn about each other’s cultures, lives, and the world around them.
The projects are shared within the school, with students’ families, in their local community – and with other schools around the world via the WCS platform.
It’s easy and fun – We don’t know who likes WCS the most, the teachers or the students!
Partners
Leadership
Our Chairman
David Beasley is a distinguished leader, humanitarian, and former Governor of South Carolina (1995–1999). He most recently served as the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) from 2017 to April 2023, having been nominated by two U.S. presidential administrations from different parties and appointed by the UN Secretary-General.
Under Beasley’s leadership, WFP became the largest humanitarian organization in the world, assisting over 160 million people in 2022 alone and raising over $55 billion to combat global hunger. In 2020, he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of WFP for its efforts to provide food assistance in conflict areas and prevent food from being used as a weapon of war. In his Oslo acceptance speech on December 10, 2021, he remarked:
“We have learned that there is great richness in those who are seen, in the eyes of the world, as ‘the poor.’ And many of us who are considered ‘rich’ are actually poor in the things that matter most.”
Beasley has also been recognized for his courageous leadership beyond humanitarian work, receiving the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage Award for taking a stand on the Confederate Flag issue in South Carolina.
He majored in Microbiology at Clemson University and received a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of South Carolina. Beasley was also a Fellow and lecturer at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and is now a professor at the University of South Carolina Law School.
Today, Beasley remains an influential advocate for global food security, education, humanitarian action, and international cooperation. He currently serves as the Founding Chairman of the Global Board of Advisors of World Class Scholars.
Our Leadership
WCS has a diverse and unique leadership structure. A number of our leadership hold government, corporate or other positions that may preclude them from accepting a specific position or title within the WCS structure – but they are all active and engaged on an ongoing basis. In time, we expect a somewhat more traditional leadership structure to evolve. This flexible leadership structure enables WCS to attract world class talent that is captivated by our unique vision and finds our audacious ambitions compelling.
Expo 2020 Dubai
World Class Scholars is an independent program that has been in development for five years and is being launched globally as part of Expo 2020 Dubai World’s Fair and its theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.
EXPO is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration – the largest event ever staged in the Arab world. It will welcome 190
participating countries and their invited heads of state and up to 25+ million global visitors.
World Class Scholars is Expo’s gift to the young people of the world. 
Phil Noble, Founder, World Class Scholars.
What They Say
“A vision is one thing to have but the actual action of doing it, I think it has been overwhelmingly positive. As we reflect on it, it’s been more than just an enriching experience – we’re talking
about giving our kids real-world experiences. We talk about trying to make them global thinkers, but the bridge that we’ve been able to gap between cultures has been amazing really. I get
excited every time I hear the kids talk about it and every time I saw their faces while they connect with other kids around the world.”
Wanda Wiliams – Elementary School Principal, USA
“I have been teaching in this program for five years and it is truly a wonderful program. My students learn so much from their shared classes with other students from around the world. They have learned to make presentations, to proudly present their county and culture to others and it has helped them mature and be more confident. I would urge any teacher anywhere in the world to join World Class Scholars. It’s one of the best things you can do for your students and yourself.”
Adam Dokurugu– 5 years in WCS, teacher in West Africa
“This program is one of my favorite things to do in school. I look forward to it ever week and I have learned so much from my friends and they have learned from me. I can say with pride “I have friends all around the world, and I am only 16 years old!”
Student – Akolie Joyce Akos , Ridge Junior High School, 11th grade, Tamale – Ghana
From a parent: “My children have learned so much from this program. When they told me they were going to have a class with a school in the United States, I didn’t know what they were talking about. They really love this program and I’ve noticed they get out of bed quicker on days they connect with their friends in the United States.”
Parent/Father – James Yussif Father of Akolie
Get Your Free Info Packet!
Any teacher from any place in the world can sign up for free and start an exciting learning experience for their students – and themselves.
FAQ
Nothing! WCS is free to all schools around the world.
The WCS project is designed to help students learn the skills they need to work and be competitive in the interconnected global marketplace of the 21st century.
Students will:
- Learn to use new technology effectively
- Work collaboratively with others of different countries
- Connect to people, cultures and ideas in the wider world around them
WCS is designed around a set of standard formats and templates that can be used by teachers and students in grades 1 – 12 in any academic subject area.
Generally, WCS class partnerships are conducted in English. Students in many classes speak English as a second language and part of connecting with other students around the world is learning to work with other students and teachers who don’t have the same native language. Teachers with a background in Teaching English as a Foreign Language may feel more comfortable connecting with a class with little English experience.
The most basic technology needed is a computer with internet access, and a webcam (if there is not a camera already built into the computer) – that’s it.
A simple webcam can be purchased at a local computer store for under US$50. Although it is not required, it is good if a projector and screen or a connected smartboard are available so that the classroom images are projected in a large format for the whole class to see.
Yes, there are several ways you can get help.
- WCS Teachers’ Handbook – an easy to use, step-by-step guide to setting up and running a WCS classroom with your Partner Teacher.Click here
- Microsoft User Guide – From Microsoft Office 365 Suite, it tells you everything about using the technology.Click here
- The Teachers’ Lounge – This easy-to-use space lets any teacher ask a question and other teachers in the program can post their responses about how to solve a specific problem, share what’s worked for them, learn useful tips and ideas.Click here
Yes, there are lots of benefits and rewards for both students and teachers to participate. Click here for all the details. (takes you to the benefit section)
All you have to do to get started is fill out the form click here and we will send you all you need to register and get started.
As soon as you register, and your details are verified and approved by World Class Scholars, you will receive your Welcome Pack
consisting of Teacher’s Handbook, your login credentials for Office 365 for Educators, a user guide for Microsoft Office 365 Educator
Suite and a detailed profile link to help you give more information
about your areas of interest, age group of students, location, preference on the country you would like to build connections with.
You will then be able to see other educators, send connection request and start your exciting World Class Scholars journey.
I have some more questions. Who can I contact?
Please contact Meka meka@worldclassscholars.org.
Contact
We want to hear from you. Do you have an idea, a problem or comment?
