International Homeroom was founded in the winter of 2007, springing from the inspiration of the founding Chairperson, Sharif Bhuiyan. Having done significant charity work on a smaller scale for approximately 4 years, he wanted to start an organization that utilized his passion for education, helping children in areas where their education is not seen by the government or society as important, and where institutions have failed to support educational institutions.
All of us in this fledgling organization believed that every child should at least be able to read and write their own name. We don't just want to help just one group, race, ethnicity or nationality; we want to help all the forgotten children of the world. The name of the organization, International Homeroom, was actually suggested to our founder by a co-worker at the New York City Medical Examiner's Office. The name suggests a place where all children will be seen as equal regardless of their background. Sharif Bhuiyan initially wanted to form a private foundation but on the suggestion of family members he enlisted the help of his many talented friends.
In September of the follow year the first official meeting took place at our founder's private home, where they discussed how this new organization would operate. That night, the Board of Directors and By-Laws were created. International Homeroom's mission to help bring education to the forgotten children around the world was set in motion.
Still in its infancy, International Homeroom has begun fundraising and collecting donations for small projects. The Board of Directors has selected Bangladesh as the first country that International Homeroom will focus on helping. It is one of the world's poorest and most illiterate countries, and all six of our Board of Directors were born there. They believe it’s the best place to start since it is a familiar area and they want to show children there that with education you can make it.
Along with our core members, there are more and more volunteers who are joining the organization's efforts. Each member and volunteer brings their unique talent to bring hope to children across the world. Together the organization is striving to help children the world has forgotten about.
In the future, International Homeroom hopes to continue playing an important role in the development of educational institutions around the world. Below is our list of goals:
