Landmark Education graduate and accomplished filmmaker Jessica Kizorek continues to travel the developing world along with her father Bill Kizorek, documenting the efforts of various non-governmental organizations that make a difference in society. She has received significant acclaim in the mass media for her efforts. All told, she has now visited 55 different countries with her film company, Two Parrot Productions.

Recently Kizorek gave an extensive interview to Girlistic Magazine where she spoke a wide range of issues, including why she and her father do what they do and what extraordinary new possibilities she sees opening up for people.

“Why not direct our philanthropic efforts towards giving people a resource of video, which is something that is extremely expensive and cost-prohibitive for the budgets of many of these NGOs?” she asks, in explaining the purpose of her filmmaking. “We worked something out with them whereby we donate all of our services on the ground–Out time, our labor–And go to all of these locations for free and give them this donation as a grant…For me, I think what compels me is partnering with NGOs so that they can actually receive more funding and impact people to a greater degree, and ultimately be more successful inside of their results and target communities.“

Kizorek is inspired about what these NGOs are accomplishing. Recently, she was in the Middle East featuring an organization called World Link that installs computer labs and internet technology, and then trains teachers and students in their use:

“I was really touched by this one young girl in particular,” Kizorek relates. “She’s probably eleven–And she was one of the people that we interviewed. She lived in a remote area; they have good schools, but aren’t necessarily internet or computer savvy. Through this organization, she has opportunity. I mean, this girl is programming websites and was connecting people all over the world. She had contacts all over the Middle East. She was only eleven years old and she would have never had the opportunity to be an international, connected kind of girl…or even woman for that matter.”

“Looking at how the internet and how the organization has really opened up this door for people to be connected. That’s the thing missing in the world right now now. We’re just in our little divided up cliques and subcultures–There’s such a lack of understanding of the world at large and all the different kind of people and belief systems and attitudes that they’re comprised of. To see a girl at eleven years old who is just really in touch with international affairs and who she wanted to be in the world. I was just like, ‘Holy cow!’ Imagine if all eleven year old girls were that in touch with the world at large. So many of our problems would disappear with that kind of awareness.”

Check out previous Landmark Education News coverage of the travels of Kizorek and her father. Also, examine a CNN story about Kizorek and her work, and read the Girlistic Magazine interview in its entirety.