Hi Folks! Welcome to the world of Globe Whiz(TM)!
While I was growing up, after dinner, my family would continue sitting around the dinner table to play board games. Lots of different board games! Still trying to strategize against my mother in Chinese Checkers. But, I never thought my professional life would bring me to create a family board game called Globe Whiz(TM).
While working on my Master's in Education in 2000, I went through this phase of creating board games in order to try to bring some fun and excitement to children while learning in the classroom. And this game was one of those games. Around this time, I also started my research in conflict resolution in education. Since then, it has been a fascinating journey creating a way to connect a board game with conflict resolution in education. So, I looked back upon my experience in education and took the skills most needed among children and realized that world geography, etiquette and foreign language skills contributed most to conflict resolution in the educational system. And learning about etiquette and protocol knowledge and skills from other countries can be fun for children too. With these skills learned, children could then better communicate among themselves, have increased tolerance and awareness for one another's differences and learn to respect one another at a higher level. And possessing positive conflict resolution skills has been shown to increase test scores as well.
But, all schools today do not have the complete funding to implement character education and conflict resolution programs into their systems. So, I've decided that a good percentage of the profits from Globe Whiz (TM) will be given to our Operation Apple program. From there, funding will be given to qualified schools in need of character education and conflict resolution programs. One of my personal and professional dreams is to see children learning similar conflict resolution strategies and methodologies in all countries that choose to participate. I am highly excited about this!
My professional philosophy is simple. It's all about relationships. Relationships are the key to everything. I'll never claim to be perfect in my etiquette and protocol skills as I am constantly learning the new ways, but I do my best. Working within the global environment, I find it highly refreshing that etiquette and protocol skills are different when doing business with other countries. I also believe my generation should try to do the best we can to prepare the younger generations for the future of the global environment and of our society. I was brought up with the principle of "always try to leave a place better than the way you found it", so this is what I'm doing. But, I need your help. I can't do this alone.
And as the famous late Walt Disney once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it."
Thank you for your interest in our mission.
Sincerely,
Ilona Torraca, M.Ed.
Chairman & CEO
Etiquette & Protocol International, Inc.
PO Box 2736
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY 11779 USA
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