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Access to Markets and Education: Fair Trade Language Tutoring via Webcam (http://www.SpeakShop.com)
Challenges Entered:
Speak Shop reduces poverty by creating a global marketplace of language tutoring via webcam, linking tutors in developing countries with a world market of learners, forging microentrepreneurs and fostering cross-cultural learning and respect.
Few problems perpetuate suffering more than lack of economic opportunity. Without jobs and decent wages, individuals, their families and their communities are stuck in a cycle of poverty – poverty of income, health, education and hope.  In developing countries, even skilled, hard-working individuals struggle in poverty because of barriers beyond their control, the foremost of these being access to markets. Poverty can be eradicated through market opportunity. By eliminating barriers to trade and information, the web democratizes access to markets and education. Â
Speak Shop, a web marketplace for live language tutoring via webcam, taps into videoconferencing technologies and leverages the web's scalability to exponentially increase:
- Economic opportunities for low-income language tutors in developing countries
- Language learning opportunities for individuals around the world.
Tutors become micro-entrepreneurs, setting their own rates and hours and selling tutoring services to prospective students of all backgrounds, ages and abilities. Traditionally, tutors in places like Guatemala are unemployed during most of the year due to tourism cycles. They are now able to teach online year-round at higher hourly rates. People interested in learning a language register on our site, review tutor profiles, select a tutor and schedule, pay for and take one-on-one lessons via webcam. Students leave lesson feedback, driving tutor accountability and quality on an ongoing basis. Social benefit is maximized for tutors and students alike. Our international networks of tutors and students benefit through interactions with each other, and our marketplace model ensures fair pay for tutors and convenient access to the best method for learning a language for students. We will expand our model to other languages by finding skilled instructors in areas with the greatest need for job creation and poverty alleviation. Online tutoring is a sustainable option for skilled, hard-working individuals to change their lives, thrive and prosper.
WHAT WE NEED:
We have a very cost-effective operational model, built for scalability. Speak Shop's co-founders have self-funded and been effective at achieving significant results with very little. As we are now starting to expand into more countries, we are finding we will need human resources, additional bandwidth and technological improvements.
Location
Beaverton, OR
United States
See map: Google Maps
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This program sounds pretty
This program sounds pretty functional, and the most important, it is very necessary for the labor market. This way everybody has a plus chance for a better education or for a better job and the labor market will become more competitive. Nouveau Riche
This is one of my top 7
This is one of my top 7 proposals. Good luck!
Thank you for putting us in your Top 7!
We really appreciate your vote!
I saw your comment about us in your slate - "Languages open up opportunities and promote understanding; there's no reason language learners shouldn't leverage the net and native speakers wherever the teacher and learner may live."
Exactly!
And, the Speak Shop model brings microentrepreneurship language tutoring opportunities to the places that need it most. It's hard to imagine that someone with a university education who skilled in teaching a language would live at poverty level, but this is what happens when there are gaps in supply and demand. The web is an equalizer, bringing networks of students and teachers together for the benefit of all.