General ESL and In-School Language Labs
Our long-term vision is that by 2025 the WEF Global Virtual School will support 600 learning spaces and 2000 virtual volunteers, impacting 30,000 learners worldwide.

Our English classes
The General ESL program is the first program offered by GVS, entirely financed by the Worldwide Education Fund of The Dallas Foundation (WEF). GVS started in 2018 at the American Spaces Center in Khorugh, Tajikistan, with one cohort. Since then, the program has expanded into 31 learning spaces servicing 19 cities in 3 Central and South Asian countries. Combined, these serve over 1,100 learners weekly. The program delivers English-Language Skills training in some of the poorest and most underserved regions of the globe. In these regions, valuable English-language skills represent an escape from multi-generational poverty.
Possession of even the most rudimentary English-language skills opens doors to employment opportunities in the fields of technology, science, health care, education, finance, entertainment, travel, and tourism. The program promotes Gender Equality and boasts an admission policy of fifty-percent female in every learning space. To offset the embedded issue of gender inequality and discrimination in the regions we work in, we strongly encourage female learners to participate while striving to ensure their safety. For example, in Kandahar, Afghanistan, WEF conducts separate classes for girls as co-education is not allowed.
In addition, the Global Virtual School Program promotes Global Competence by encouraging learners, even in remote villages, to challenge themselves in language-proficiency and attain native-speaker mastery of English. GVS provides learners with a non-conventional classroom environment allowing them to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills not encouraged in traditional settings but sought after in the job market. The youth-to-youth connection fosters a friendly learning environment and boosts learner confidence.

Where our students are
14 learning spaces in Tajikistan (Dushanbe (2) Khorog (2) Bokthar, Isfara, Panjakent, Kulob, Khujand, Gharm – including 4 spaces for Afghan refugees in Vahdat.
9 spaces in Afghanistan ( Kandahar, Ghazni, Faizabad (2) Herat, Darwaz,
Ishkashim, Shugnan and Kabul).
7 spaces in Pakistan (Muzaffarabad, Islamabad, Multan, Hyderabad and Karachi (3)
GVS-WEF works closely with on-the-ground partners to ensure proper delivery of the program, including attendance to ensure that each learner completes a minimum of thirty-six hours of teacher-lead learning. Students receive access to additional educational resources with training concluded by an end-of-term assessment.
Learners who pass their assessment have the option to publish the presentation as a professionally supported podcast. Students with the highest marks are awarded a smart phone for their academic excellence. Our Global Virtual School provides much needed help in some of the hardest to reach areas of the world.
We aim to create an effective and efficient virtual learning platform by connecting volunteers and English language professionals with youth and young adults in as many countries and areas as possible. The project aims to set up classes in 50 learning space with 150 virtual volunteers, impacting 2500 students in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.
In-school English Language Labs

An initiative of the Worldwide Education Fund of the Dallas Foundation (WEF), USA and it’s project delivery partner Foundation to Empower Students (FES), in Pakistan to further the quality of education.
In-School Language Labs are operational at 2 low income private schools in Booni Upper Chitral in Northern Pakistan impacting 500 students, 40 teachers and 2 English Language Facilitators. WEF aims to expand to 20 additional low income private schools in the next 5 years increasing the impact to 5000+ students, 500+ teachers and 40 FES teacher trainers.
Project Description
In-School Language Labs operates in collaboration with low income private schools in Chitral Pakistan. The selected schools provide furnished learning spaces to build English Language Lab and Career Counselling and Coaching Resource Centre and FES provides the necessary technology and internet based content licensed from Fluent U, Lingua Phone and other similar proprietary sources. The lab is run by qualified English Language Facilitators hired and trained by FES who not only deliver the English Language and Career Counselling and Coaching Resources but also train the already existing English Language teachers at the school and empower them to take over the lab.
Language Lab Project Vision
In-School Language Labs envisions to break the cycle of generational poverty by developing English Language Skills among the students and improving the quality of education by introducing Teacher Training, Technology Proficiency, Career Counselling and Coaching Resources in collaboration with existing low income private schools in Chitral, Pakistan.
The project supports local professionals in their work with underprivileged students who need guidance and support in choosing the best course of action. Our In-School Labs envision and aim to put in practice these supplementary services.
Project Mission
Collaborate with five local host schools and build learning spaces equipped with the right set of technology for teaching English Language Skills and Career Counselling and Coaching Resources.
Introduce internet based English language learning content certified by Lingua Phone, Fluent U and other such proprietary sources.
Provide skilled teacher trainers who could deliver the English Language classes and Career Counselling Resources and train the already existing English Language teachers and empower them to take over the learning spaces.
Introduce best practices in teaching and learning English Language and career counselling and coaching resources
Ongoing Marketing and Engagement Activities
- English Language Week for Students (ELWS):
English Language Week for Students (ELWS) allows students from the host schools to explore their English speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in a week-long activity where the students are provided with a platform to express their English language skills through poems, essays, short stories, articles, features, songs, and performances.
- English Language Conversation Club for Teachers:
English Language Conversation Club aims to provide a platform to teachers from Booni, Chitral to come together and explore, express and expand their English language skills. The aim of the club is to provide the teachers an opportunity to build their capacity in learning English Language skills and fill the gap of learning process between students and their teachers and allow FES to work with the teacher community and identify the best candidates as teacher trainers for In-School Language Labs in Chitral.
Our partners

Register for the course
If you are interested in joining this program, please contact GVS Program Manager at
manager@wefschool.org