Our Organization

Breaking Down Language Barriers to Global Issues and other important resources

We’ve developed a volunteer translation program to translate thousands of words of global issues infomation to empower everyone to take action.

100,000

Words Translated

Global Ascent has translated over 100,000 words of global issues information.

25

Countries

Global Ascent has a volunteer network in over 25 countries.

500,000

People Impacted

Global Ascent has reached over 500,000 people with our mission and impact.

The language gap in global issues is getting worse

Access to critical information—like climate warnings, health guidance, and education—remains heavily limited to dominant languages such as English. Over 75% of the world does not speak English, and nearly 80% of scientific research is published in English.

The language gap only hurts those who need access to it the most

Non-English speaking countries are being disproportionately impacted by global issues. Out of the top 10 countries worst affected by hunger, climate change water scarcity, and education, only one is majority English speaking.

Global Ascent is changing the game

Global Ascent is helping all 6 billion people non-english speakers and are on track to translate 1 million words by 2026

Our Values

  • We believe that language should never be a barrier to opportunity. Global Ascent works to ensure marginalized and linguistically underserved communities can access essential information in their native languages—because everyone deserves a voice and the chance to rise.

  • Our work is powered by people—students, volunteers, and translators around the world. By empowering local chapters to identify and address the needs of their own communities, we scale not just our reach, but our relevance.

  • Translation isn't just about words—it's about meaning. We aim for simplicity, cultural accuracy, and accessibility in every project, so that every translated word carries the same weight and intention as the original.

  • We grow through partnerships. Whether we’re working with nonprofits, schools, or grassroots organizers, we believe that change is most effective when we build bridges—not silos.

  • We’re led by the next generation because we believe change starts young. Global Ascent supports student leaders not just as translators, but as innovators, educators, and global citizens.

FAQ

  • AI and machine translation have revolutionized how quickly we can share information across languages. They allow us to scale rapidly—processing huge volumes of content in seconds. But speed doesn’t always guarantee quality, especially for the languages and communities that need the most support.

    Many languages—especially Indigenous, regional, and other low-resource languages—are significantly underrepresented in AI training data. This results in machine translations that are often inaccurate, overly literal, or entirely missing. In fact, over 90% of machine translation funding is concentrated on just ten major languages, leaving billions of people without reliable access to translated information.

    Even for widely spoken languages, machine translation struggles with nuance. It can miss tone, context, idioms, and culturally specific references—details that matter deeply when sharing critical content like climate alerts, health guidance, or legal rights. Mistranslations in these areas can lead to confusion, distrust, or even harm.

    At Global Ascent, we’re not anti-technology. We embrace AI as a powerful ally—but not a replacement. We believe the future of translation is collaborative: machines for speed, humans for sense. Our approach blends the efficiency of AI with the cultural intelligence, lived experience, and care that only human translators can provide.

    This hybrid model helps ensure that every word we translate is not just fast, but fair, clear, and deeply understood by the people who need it most.

  • Our translations are powered by youth volunteers, language speakers, and community members. Each translation is reviewed by a human fluent in the target language to ensure cultural relevance, clarity, and trust. We may use AI as a starting point, but every translation is checked and refined by real people.

  • Every translation is reviewed by a fluent speaker or native user of the target language. We prioritize context, cultural accuracy, and real-world clarity. AI may assist, but nothing is published without human oversight.

Leadership

Meet the team that spearheads Global Ascent