Ohio Northern University alumna Caroline (Woodworth) Schumacher, BA ’99, is in the business of bringing joy to children who need it most. As the president and CEO of Give Kids The World Village, she leads a whimsical Central Florida resort that provides weeklong, cost-free vacations to between 7,000 and 8,000 children with critical illnesses and their families every year.
“It’s a week that is an escape for these families,” she says, noting that their daily lives are overtaken by the stress, worry, and sadness of dealing with a critical illness. “Coming into the Village is like a big hug.”
Founded in 1986 by Henri Landwirth, a Holocaust survivor who became a successful hotelier, Give Kids The World Village is celebrating its 40th anniversary. Located on an 89-acre campus, the top-rated charity offers an enchanting, theme-park-like environment with fully accessible rides and “ice cream served all day long.”
While the Village employs a core staff, “the whole operation is essentially run by volunteers” who fill about 1,200 shifts per week, explains Schumacher.
Wish-granting organizations identify the children, and Give Kids The World Village hosts the families for a week in 166 on-site villas. From there, families also explore all Central Florida has to offer, from Walt Disney World to Universal Studios, SeaWorld to the Kennedy Space Center.
“Everything is cost-free— the family doesn’t pay a dime,” says Schumacher. “It’s absolutely an experience you couldn’t pay for.”
Schumacher has dedicated most of her career to the Village. She first discovered the organization as an ONU student participating in the Disney College Program. Volunteering for a shift at the Village, she had a conversation with grateful parents that opened her eyes to the fact that “something big was happening here.”
She had started her college career as a biology major but switched to communication, a better fit for her gregarious personality and interest in writing, speaking, and organizing. Working in Career Services and as a Bear Ambassador further developed her communication and leadership skills.
“That’s where I was comfortable—in front of an audience, moving and facilitating people,” she says.
After a bitterly cold and snowy winter on the Tundra, Schumacher graduated and moved to Florida, where she found employment at the Tampa Port Authority. When a position as a volunteer coordinator opened at Give Kids The World Village, she applied and landed the position. She steadily rose through the organization, taking on increasing responsibility, including vice president of operations.
Her tenure was marked by two departures, including a six-year stint as president and CEO of the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. This move enabled her to build critical skills in fundraising and board management. When the president and CEO position opened at Give Kids The World Village, her heart called her back. She’s been at the helm since 2025, steering the Village into its milestone anniversary.
“What’s beautiful about Give Kids The World is that we are surrounded by our mission every day,” she says. “I love the energy and activity and the people we serve.”
Running a large charitable organization—even a magical one focused on wish-granting—isn’t easy, however. She’s laser-focused on ensuring that Give Kids The World Village remains on solid footing so that it will continue long after she’s gone.
“It’s never a challenge to be kind and to serve others,” she says. “The biggest challenge is making sure we are running the best business—being fiscally responsible and bringing in revenue.”
She describes herself as “relentless” and “mission-driven” in her approach. She cultivates a space where staff, volunteers, and above all, the families, feel seen, cared for, and loved.
“We bring out the best in humanity. When you come through these gates, you bring your best self. It should be your true self, but your best self,” she says. “Be kind, smile, greet everyone, hold open doors, pick up trash. It’s the simple things, but if we did these things all the time, what a better world it would be.”
