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About Us
Who Are We & Our Team
We are a group of professionals from across disciplines and geographic boundaries who are committed to making positive impacts in the lives of others around the world through health and education endeavors.
Mission
We collaborate with community leaders, healthcare professionals, educators, and organizations to provide sustainable improvements in health and education in resource-scarce communities.
Vision
We envision communities in which all people have access to high quality education and healthcare.
Our Values
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Inclusiveness: We embrace inclusion which unleashes the power of partnership and teamwork.
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Collaboration: We assess and address healthcare and education capability gaps by working cross-sectorally to synchronize efforts for stakeholders at all levels that impact resource-scare communities.
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Integrity: We value strong ethical principles, transparency and honesty.
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Sustainability: We aim to ensure that organizations design programs that endures beyond the end of the project given a county/region’s finite resources.
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Innovation: We leverage internal and external expertise to continuously assess for windows of opportunities, adjust to changing conditions, and prioritize efficiency.
Our History
In 2005 Emily Caldwell moved to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador where she co-founded a nonprofit organization called Galapagos ICE: Immerse Connect Evolve. Galapagos ICE was dedicated to improving health, education and conservation in the islands working closely with local leaders and the community. Galapagos ICE had more than 500 volunteers from 22 different countries. Galapagos ICE built eco-playgrounds, donated more than 15,000 books and 100 wheelchairs. They had medical mission groups and education volunteers. In 2012 there was a family tragedy and in 2014 the Board decided to close Galapagos ICE. Emily felt like she still had so much more to give and decided to gather a group of professionals from different backgrounds, including some previous volunteers of Galapagos ICE, to create Stepping Stones for Global Development.
Stepping Stones for Global Development Inc is a US 501(c)(3) international charity. The organization is overseen by a Board of Directors responsible for reviewing programs and operations, monitoring annual plans, approving budgets and establishing policy.
Our Team
Founder & Executive Director
Emily Caldwell, MA
Emily was raised in a suburb of Chicago, Oak Park, Illinois. Her eclectic job history has ranged from starting a nonprofit in the Galapagos Islands Ecuador, implementing International Programs at Illinois Central College, teaching Spanish at Illinois State University and Illinois Central College, working for BCA, read more...
Board Chair
Rayfurd Thompson, MA
Rayfurd is originally from the beautiful island of Saint Lucia, located in the Caribbean. He has lived in Lynchburg, Virginia, for the past nine years, where he resides with his wife and their energetic three-year-old son.
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He holds a bachelor's degree, an MBA, and a Master's degree in Nonprofit ...read more...
Board Vice Chair
Dr. Daniel Banda, MD
Daniel Banda, a Medical Doctor from the Galápagos Islands, is deeply passionate about helping others and finding solutions to complex challenges. His vocation is not merely a career but a lifelong commitment to serving others. This dedication has led him to care for patients in some of the most chaotic and critical situations, including the aftermath of the devastating read more...
Board Treasurer
Dr. Jay Miller, DDS
Dr. Jay A. Miller was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. His education includes a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Binghamton University (1982) in New York. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore College of Dental Surgery read more...
Board Member
Dr. Sabita Manian, PhD
Dr. Sabita Manian, PhD, is Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences (and Engineering) and Professor of Political Science at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. She served as an academic dean and faculty at the University of Lynchburg, Virginia, prior to hear leadership at Read more...
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Board Member
Jo Self
Jo Self is a dynamic force in the world of personal and organizational development. With a mission to teach "Strengths as a Second Language," Jo strives to create a world where Read more...