About
Background
The year 2020; COVID-19 changed life in an instant. In March we were optimistic it would be for a short time. As the months go on, our hope is for a lasting positive impact on how we choose to live our lives.
Country by country schools closed down. For young people across the globe, school has turned into an online experience from home overnight – at least for those learners who are fortunate enough to have online access.
Children and young people across the world have never had more in common than they do now.
Who we are
Link Online Learners was founded by a collaboration of educators, innovators, ambassadors and youth ambassadors all connected to HundrED. As we grow, other globally-minded people who share our hopes for today and tomorrow, have joined the movement.
What we do
We run global, youth-led online intercultural exchanges. These range from fun games and conversations as entry points to member-generated extended collaborations that foster meaningful understanding as well as deep empathy and unique insight from designing first-hand experiences together.
These are the kinds of quality interactions that only usually happen in once-in-a-lifetime school foreign exchange trips. We are making them happen four times a week, to create really powerful bonds and genuine friendships between young people from truly diverse countries and lifestyles.
Why we do it
Our mission is to ensure that the next generation are fluid and very comfortable in interacting, collaborating and developing authentic friendships across cultures, world views and geographical boundaries. We believe that empathic listening and active engagement with people from places you may never go to, will help build a world that appreciates our shared humanity.
Ultimately, our vision is that we send LOL members out into the world each week, more and more able to understand and to use their collective and diverse human ingenuity to deal with the most pressing challenges of our time.
LOL Values
Curiosity
Everyone at the LOL table is interested in what others have to say, what they do and their perspective. From all walks of life, we are interested in the cultural similarities and differences in an internationally-mindful way.
Empathy
To really understand other cultures, we learn from the heart. Not just compassionate but actively seeing and seeking the best for others. We are empathetic in our listening, speaking and doing.
Courage
From the introverts to the extroverts, everyone has a place at LOL. The act of courage to show up and be present, no matter the time of the day. To speak up, to perform, to take action is the LOL way.
Connection
We are all in this together. We are driven by our desire to get and stay connected, no matter what the world throws at us. Connected across borders, cultures, religions, perspectives, and ways of life.
Lene Jensby Lange
Founder & CEO @ Autens.dk consulting house, Top 100 global innovator - HundrED.org, Vice Chair @ Association for Learning Environments Europe, member of multiple advisory boards internationally, Academy member @ HundrED.org, Head of Global Schools Alliance, DENMARK
Dr Pamela Redmond
CEO @LearnShifts, Founder Learning Innovation Lab; Professor, Touro University; NapaLearns Board, USA