San Francisco, CA, March 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- No Barriers USA and Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced the winners of the 2019 Global Impact Challenge, a yearlong competition designed to inspire the best ideas from high school and middle school students for building a world free of barriers, stereotypes and discrimination. The goal of the challenge is to equip teachers with the necessary tools to help students dream big and break barriers.
In June 2019, 20 middle and high school educators across the U.S. participated in a three-day training program at the No Barriers Summit in Lake Tahoe, Calif. Following the training, the educators recruited diverse teams of students and followed an online curriculum designed to foster creativity and develop projects to address local diversity, accessibility and inclusion issues.
“No Barriers unleashes the potential of educators and their students, giving them the mindset and tools to break through barriers and lead with purpose, said Andrea Delorey, No Barriers Experience Design and Impact Director. “This year’s teams designed amazing projects that addressed challenges in their communities, with many deserving consideration for the top prize. We are grateful to Wells Fargo for helping make the challenge possible.”
Two first-place teams were awarded $5,000 to implement their projects and invited to present at the 2020 No Barriers Summit on Sept. 18 in San Francisco:
- Compass Community Collaborative, Fort Collins, Colo., included 15 students led by teacher Bonnie Cowen. The team focused on creating a curriculum, by teens for teens that addresses mental health education in schools.
- North Windy Ridge Intermediate, Weaverville, N.C., included eight students led by teacher Jeremy Aten. The team focused on destigmatizing ADHD in their school and developing programs to help those students succeed.
Two runner-up teams were awarded $1,500 to implement their projects:
- Disability Network of Northern Michigan, Grayling, Mich., included five students led by teachers Kristen Conrad and Caitlin Chlosta. The team focused on developing a program for youth in lock-up to make community connections and discover passions to help positively fill free time once they transition back into the community.
- Conrad Ball Middle School, Loveland, Colo., included 18 students led by teacher Andrew Hinerfeld. The team focused on creating a space within their school where students who deal with sensory overload can go to reset and recalibrate in order to succeed.
“We’re continually amazed at the enthusiasm and creativity the teachers and students bring to the challenge,” said Kathy Martinez, head of Disability and Accessibility Strategy at Wells Fargo. “With ideas like these, the possibilities are endless for creating a more diverse and inclusive society for all.”
About No Barriers
What barriers do you face? This question lies at the heart of our organization. Whether in our personal lives, at work, or in our communities, we all face challenges that can prevent us from reaching our full potential. At No Barriers, we believe that what’s within you is stronger than what’s in your way. No Barriers empowers people of all walks of life to overcome obstacles, live a life of purpose, and give back to the world, all through our ground-breaking curriculum, the No Barriers Life. Learn more about No Barriers at NoBarriersUSA.org.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,400 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 32 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 260,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 29 on Fortune’s 2019 rankings of America’s largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.
Additional information may be found at https://www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo.
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