08/22/25
Big Dreams, Bigger Impact: The Journey of Show Me The World
What started as a student-led dream at a local high school has transformed into a life-changing nonprofit initiative serving students across St. Louis. Show Me The World (SMTW), founded by Samantha Lurie, began as a grassroots project designed to give students from under-resourced communities access to international travel, global learning, and entrepreneurial experiences. With catalytic support from The Opportunity Trust – first through the Catalyst Fellowship, then via strategic planning grants, and most recently through integration into the Next Prep program– SMTW has expanded into multiple schools and earned national attention, including a PBS mini-documentary. The program’s most recent milestone: a cohort of students from Kairos Academies and University City High School traveled to Costa Rica, returning with a renewed sense of self, purpose, and possibility.
From Grassroots to Global: The SMTW Origin Story
While teaching at Vashon High School, Samantha Lurie joined a school exchange program with Clayton High School. Students were struck by the stark difference in resources—especially after seeing a flyer for an international trip. “That’s not something anybody in my family has done before… Ms. Lurie, that’s not fair,” Samantha Lurie, Show Me the World Founder, recalled. Determined to act, she and her students rallied parents, built community support, fundraised, and launched the first trip to Costa Rica under the name Show Me Costa Rica.
By 2018, the program had rebranded as Show Me The World (SMTW), eventually collaborating with schools across the city, thanks largely to word-of-mouth and Lurie’s Teach For America network. What started with 10 students at Vashon has now served 250 students across nine district and charter schools. This year included first cohorts at University City High School and Kairos Academy, the 10th cohort of St. Louis Public Schools students, and expansion to Kansas City Public Schools through a new district partnership supported by a Kauffman Foundation grant.
Catalyst for Growth
Lurie’s acceptance into The Opportunity Trust’s Catalyst Fellowship gave her time, space, and a network to grow SMTW. Through Catalyst, The Opportunity Trust funded SMTW’s transition to a 501(c)(3), helping the organization move from a passion project to an established nonprofit. SMTW also later received a Reinvention by Community grant to expand its impact.
The fellowship culminated in a sponsorship that covered the costs to formally register as a nonprofit, allowing us to transition from a school/community project to an officially recognized organization.
Samantha Lurie, Founder of Show Me the World
A few years later, TOT funded SMTW’s strategic plan, fueling growth into even more schools and leading to formal integration into the junior-year Next Prep program at Kairos Academies. The program was particularly tailored for students interested in entrepreneurship, a core pillar of SMTW. The result was more than just travel—it was transformation.
Real Impact: Travel, Transformation, and Tangible Growth
For students at University City High School and Kairos Academies, SMTW was about far more than going abroad. In the semester leading up to their Costa Rica trip, they launched a school-based coffee shop as both a business venture and fundraiser, while making measurable academic gains—a key program goal. By design, SMTW blends entrepreneurship, scientific inquiry, and academic support: students plan and run real businesses, apply scientific methods during cultural and environmental learning abroad, and strengthen core skills through reflective, project-based work. As a result, SMTW cohorts consistently outperform non-participants in both attendance and grades.
“They came in with a 3.1 GPA and by the end of the semester grew their group GPA to 3.3,” Lurie shared. “Their attendance increased from 83% to 90% in one semester.”
In Costa Rica, students toured a coffee farm, explored the country’s biodiversity, and engaged with local communities—gaining firsthand insight into sustainability, conservation, and cultural exchange.
“It made me feel small, but in a good way,” said junior Sam Gilliom. One of 30 students who spent nine days in Costa Rica. “I could see just how large the world is… It just gave me a really great outlook on life as a whole.”
“Being immersed in so much culture was literally life-changing for me. I really enjoyed just getting to hear locals talk to each other,” added classmate Ashanti Nurse.
For Shaniya Harris, the experience was her first major trip from St. Louis: “If I didn’t join Show Me the World, I probably never would have gotten to experience this,” she said.
Building Futures, Brewing Opportunity
From a single high school initiative to an established nonprofit, SMTW has redefined what’s possible for St. Louis students. Thanks to early investment and ongoing support, the program is raising GPAs, building confidence, and preparing the next generation of global citizens and entrepreneurs. In another exciting milestone, Show Me The World Coffee is now the featured coffee at Midtown Cafe in Terminal 2 of Lambert International Airport—meaning every drink sold helps fund global education opportunities for students.
As Lurie put it: “It’s a dream come true. Never would I have imagined that this is what I’d get to do every day, but here we are.”
Follow The Opportunity Trust on LinkedIn for updates on SMTW and future fellowship opportunities. You can also directly support SMTW’s mission by making a donation, visiting their stand at the Tower Grove Farmers Market every Saturday, or subscribing to their student-run coffee program to enjoy coffee, tea, and gift box sets that fund life-changing travel experiences.
Watch their PBS documentary featuring Kairos students, explore more on their website, and join the community making global education a reality for students.
