WACT Speaker Series | Education That Transforms Communities: Lessons from Nepal, the U.S., and Beyond

This talk, sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Tacoma, highlights how education systems influence the skills people gain and how those skills help communities and economies grow. Drawing on examples from Nepal, the United States, and other countries, the speaker explains how different education models developed over time and how they continue to shape opportunities today.

Around the world, formal schooling was originally designed to meet the needs of industry and trade—and in many places, these systems were influenced by colonial priorities. In the United States, by contrast, education increasingly focused on innovation, research, and preparing people to contribute to a fast‑changing economy, especially during the Industrial Revolution.

Although many countries have made progress, millions of children and adults still lack access to strong, high‑quality education. This challenge has led to global commitments—such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals—to expand literacy, numeracy, and lifelong learning.

Drawing on more than a decade of experience in local government and community development, including service on the board of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the speaker shares practical, community‑based approaches that have shown promise. These include “Book Free Friday” and the “Intergenerational Educational Program,” both of which engage local youth as teaching assistants to help build foundational learning, spark creativity, and encourage solutions developed and led by local communities.

The talk also connects these ideas to similar efforts in the United States and other countries, reflecting the action plan the speaker has been shaping during the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship.

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