My name is Dané Goosen. I am a junior in high school and the founder of Language Goat.

I arrived in the United States at age 2. I was born in South Africa and grew up speaking Afrikaans at home. I visited South Africa in December of 2013. It was the first time that I had spent with my extended family in years. As a result, I grew an attachment to the country. I wanted to explore my Afrikaans heritage. I watched tv shows and I started to learn how to read in my native language. My experience traveling in 2013 sparked my interest in other languages and cultures.

In 2020, I picked up a children’s book, Liewe Heksie. I had not touched an Afrikaans book for years. I attempted to read a couple of pages but found it challenging and overall exhausting. In this moment I would find an important source of empathy. I began peer-tutoring in the English Language Learner’s department at my high school in early 2022. I could understand the frustration that the students faced when learning in a new language. Some students could speak English quite well but reading and writing were a challenge.

Through Language Goat, I hope to provide resources to self-study a language. I want to encourage students to diligently study a language. Additionally, Language Goat will provide a fun way to learn the culture and language. Culture and language go hand in hand, so the goal is to include resources that spur on cultural immersion.

This school year, I learned a lot from the EL students that I have been tutoring. I have started a project where I intend to publish several interviews of students detailing their experiences as learners of a new language. I hope that through this project I will be able to raise awareness of the struggles that English Language learners must overcome in the United States in order to improve the transition for future students.

I’m Anna, a high school student in Tokyo, an artistic person, and the founder and CEO of FECAE, For every child, an education. I love playing the piano and dancing, as well as, skiing and ice skating. (of course… I love writing/journalism as well!!)

Education first lit a fire in me, when I went to Cambodia for a school project. For two weeks, I taught basic English in an elementary school in Siem Riep and noticed the educational discrepancies between developed and developing nations. There was a lack of books, desks, classrooms, and teachers. The children were so eager to learn. Yet, they weren't provided with the proper environment. Since then, I have participated in many essay contests and projects not only to help children in Cambodia with their education but also to raise awareness about the current educational status in Cambodia.

I’m currently working on a new school project: donating iPads to the children in Cambodia.

Come along with me, on my journey to achieving quality education for all.

Visit Anna’s website at: https://fecaeeducation.wixsite.com/my-site-1

Hi! My name is Amy, and I’m a current high school senior from California. I’m the president of my school club, Tutors 4 Tods. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball with my brother, playing the piano, reading, and listening to music.

Education has always looked different throughout my life. Because I had immigrant parents who weren’t as fluent in English, I struggled the first few years in school. As I grew older and worked hard to keep up with the rest of the students, I started to realize that there were many resources provided to help students like me. I just didn’t know how to access them. Although I had my fair share of struggles, I would say that I’m fortunate enough to live in a county where these resources are available. Many other countries can’t say the same. All students deserve the same education as we do. This is why we, as students with more opportunities, teamed up to create and make resources more accessible, to those that lack it. We hope that you’ll join our journey to provide education to all, one student at a time

My name is Shreya Lakshmisha and am an upcoming junior for the 2022-23 year. I have a passion for learning and helping others in need. More specifically, I love educating myself on topics about science and graphic design. My hobbies include anything arts and crafts-related, baking, and writing! From a small age, I traveled to India frequently every couple of years and always saw kids and parents on the streets begging for food and some in orphanages with no possible access to education. As the years went by, improvements were low even to this day. When I heard of FECAE, it reminded me that not every area in the world has access to a solid, foundational education. I am so excited to be a part of this movement and contribute my skills to achieve education access for as many children as possible!

My name is Aribah Mahmud and I am a highschooler in Saudi. I absolutely love learning about science and maths, while having a passion for english. In my free time, I enjoy reading, baking and gardening.

My family is originally from Bangladesh, where access to quality education, especially for young girls, is extremely low. Every time I visit, I am reminded of all the children suffering, not able to go to school simply because their family cannot afford it. So by joining FECAE, I hope that my small contributions will be able to benefit children across the globe and change their lives for the better!