Brains, Borders, and Betterment: A Smarter Way to See and Serve the World
In briefAI summary — tap to read
Kimberly Haley-Coleman presented GlobalWare, a 25-year-old organization that designs one-week volunteer service programs in 26 locations worldwide, emphasizing mutual transformation over charity tourism. The approach prioritizes community-identified needs, local leadership, and genuine cross-cultural connection, with programs costing around $1,500 and covering accommodations, meals, project materials, and local staff—everything except airfare and souvenirs.
Key takeaways
- Service experiences should be designed by and with local communities, not imposed by outsiders, with local foremen leading projects to maintain dignity and sustainability.
- Effective international service creates mutual transformation for both volunteers and recipients through face-to-face connection, humility, and cultural immersion rather than transactional charity or tourism.
- Volunteers must set aside productivity-driven expectations and embrace local rhythms and cultures to fully benefit from and respect the communities they serve alongside.
- All program fees directly fund project materials, local staff salaries, accommodations, food, and transportation—creating a transparent, turnkey model that ensures volunteers' contributions directly support community priorities.
- Community selection is rigorous, requiring established grassroots organizations, cultural attractions for learning, safety, and realistic project scope that avoids medical work or hazardous conditions.
About Kimberly Haley-ColemanKimberly Haley-Coleman is the founder and leader of GlobalWare, an international service organization she established 25 years ago to address the gap between willingness to serve and availability to serve abroad.
AI-generated from the meeting recording — AI can make mistakes, so check the recording for anything important.
New here? How our meetings work
Is this your first time visiting us? If so, welcome to our weekly online meeting! To complete our meeting, please continue reading from here to the bottom of this page. Each Monday, our week’s meeting is posted early in the morning, U.S. Pacific Time. These meetings are designed so that you can read and watch what we post anytime during the week. The entire meeting takes about 60 minutes to complete, with the video conference recording of the program being the bulk of the time. Note that you can easily read this meeting with your favorite device, so feel free to take our meeting on the go with you. Please also complete the attendance form at the bottom and leave a comment. Enjoy!
To properly attend this meeting, please:
-
Read and watch the content below in its entirety.
-
Complete the attendance survey.
Everyone is encouraged to leave a comment in the Disqus section at the bottom of the page.
Greetings members, Rotarians, friends and guests
Want to Learn More About Us? - Who We Are, What We Do, Why We Do It
Want to become a Rotarian? - Join us in helping to make the world a better place!
Thanks for joining our weekly meeting!
Shags Shagrin- Club Member & Paella Master
Weekly Funny with Shags
We believe laughter is an important part of life, and we should all make time to laugh a little. This segment of our meeting is meant to tickle you just enough. These funnies are curated by member Steven "Shags" Shagrin!
A man is walking through the woods and he spots a suitcase along the side of the trail. Inside the suitcase, he finds a mother fox and her three cubs. He immediately calls animal control to report what he found. 'Oh my gosh, that’s terrible,' the animal control worker said, 'Are they moving?'
I’m not exactly sure,' the man replied, 'but I guess that would explain the suitcase.'
Inspiration
Let's celebrate teachers this week! Who is a teacher who made a difference in your life? Maybe some of the kids in this video, called "Life Without Teachers," can give you an idea.
Learn something new
Created to be Destroyed...
Italian Kapla artist Raffaele Salvoldi’s collaborative chain reaction project
📬 Are you receiving the Members-Only Weekly Bulletin?
Our Club News and Member links are now on the Members Only ClubRunner Site and are emailed weekly as a Club Bulletin. Please make sure your email address is current on ClubRunner.
Members, be sure to read our Weekly Club Bulletin, which is sent separately to your email address from ClubRunner each Monday. In it, you will find updates and information about what our members are up to, club activities, projects, Happy Dollars, news from District 5170, and various ways you can support The Rotary Foundation. We also send your Dues notices using ClubRunner email.
Our Weekly Bulletin, sent every Monday, provides club information. To stay informed, please ensure your email is current on ClubRunner and add mailservice@clubrunner.ca to your address book so it does not go into Spam.
Program: Brains, Borders, and Betterment: A Smarter Way to See and Serve the World
Speaker: Kimberly Haley-Coleman
We bring you a new program every week on innovation, entrepreneurship, and education and how they contribute to service to others.
How can meaningful travel go beyond sightseeing to create lasting impact? Brains, Borders, and Betterment dives into how immersive volunteer experiences can transform both the communities served and the travelers themselves. Together, we’ll discuss how to use intelligence, creativity, and compassion to approach global challenges, break down borders, and create better outcomes for all involved.
Our speaker, Kimberly Haley-Coleman, is the Founder and Executive Director of Globe Aware, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has been creating short-term, immersive volunteer programs in 26 countries for over 25 years. Under her leadership, Globe Aware has partnered with universities, corporations, and philanthropic networks to provide volunteers with well-organized, impactful opportunities to serve communities worldwide.
In addition to leading Globe Aware, Kimberly chairs the Volunteer Programs Association, which provides a "Good Housekeeping" seal of approval for volunteer programs that meet rigorous quality and accountability standards. She is passionate about connecting people across cultures, advocating for ethical and sustainable travel, and empowering individuals to make a measurable difference through hands-on service.
Members and guests, please welcome Kimberly Haley-Coleman!
To learn more, go to:
Website: https://www.globeaware.org/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@globeaware
X Twitter: https://twitter.com/GlobeAware
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@globe_aware
Podcasts https://open.spotify.com/show/6n9cfb4QIVb2aqUD6XSttE
Kimberly Haley-Coleman
Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyglobeaware/
Globe Aware:
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@GlobeAware
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/globeaware/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/globeaware
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/globe-aware/
To learn more about the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley, go to:
http://rotary.cool
Our Three Podcast Series
Our main program speakers are available as podcasts in addition to YouTube videos! Each week, they are available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, as well as many other platforms.
Our weekly podcast is now called:
Inspiring People — Stories of Innovation and Service
Inspiring Solutions for a Better World
Our original podcast, featuring some of the best of our previous speakers, is still available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms.
Inspiring Women: Celebrating Trailblazers
Our newest podcast celebrates trailblazing women. It is available on Spotifyand Apple Podcasts, and many other platforms.
Upcoming program recording schedule
All of our guest speakers and programs are recorded live online over Zoom video conference. We welcome members and guests to join us in one of these upcoming recordings. Recordings are approximately 30 minutes long and are subject to change without notice.
Our online video conference room link for these recordings is always http://zoom.siliconvalleyrotary.com/. You are welcome to join us! Please note the timezone listed for all recordings is US Pacific Time (San Francisco, California, USA).
If you can’t join the live recording, please send your questions for an upcoming speaker to programs@siliconvalleyrotary.com.
