About STS

School-to-School International (STS) is an international development organization dedicated to improving the lives of girls, boys, and their communities worldwide through access to quality education. We focus on creating conditions of success for children around the world. Last year, we partnered with individuals, government ministries, nongovernmental organizations, private foundations, and research institutions in 26 countries to assist with research, evaluation, curriculum, training, and strategic planning.

Our Mission

Our mission is to improve the lives and learning of children worldwide through thoughtful research, practice, and partnership.

From 2002–18, we implemented and tested our Whole Child Model in Guinea/Conakry. Beginning in 2018, we expanded the Whole Child Model to the Arusha District of Tanzania. The Whole Child Model is a holistic approach to supporting children rooted in the understanding that for students to thrive, their basic needs must be fulfilled. The Whole Child Model incorporates best practices in education, health, and engagement so that all children can learn more effectively. We believe it is a matter of justice that these essential elements are provided to every child so that they may become healthy, productive citizens, capable of participating fully in society.

Our contracting services are informed by the work we do with the Whole Child Model. We provide collaborative support in three broad areas: research and evaluation, curriculum and training, and policy and planning. We have built a strong reputation as a reliable partner for work spanning the globe, particularly on USAID-funded projects. Our partners value our responsiveness and adaptability as well as the scope and quality of our services.

In turn, our contracting services informs our work with the Whole Child Model, enabling us to apply current approaches and best practices to our work in education, health, and engagement. This synergy has led to continued growth for STS.

Inspired by their time as Peace Corps volunteers in Africa and informed by their extensive work with governments worldwide, Dr. Mark Lynd and Jeff Davis set out to help children succeed in school by tackling the interrelated challenges students face. They founded School-to-School International in 2002.

Understanding there is no single solution that would make enough of a difference in most children’s lives, Lynd and Davis focused their efforts on creating an integrated approach that combines education, health, and community engagement—the Whole Child Model.

Since its founding, STS has worked in Guinea and Tanzania to develop the Whole Child Model while gradually building an educational contracting business. During that time, STS has established itself as a viable education partner in the contracting world, providing services in three core areas: research and evaluation, curriculum and training, and policy and planning.

Today, we are a dedicated team of 27 individuals working in 14 countries around the globe. Our employees work at our headquarters in Pacifica, California, across the United States, and internationally in Canada, Tanzania, and Zambia.