Develop Global Youth Leaders in NYC and DC!

Global Kids’ 25th Anniversary year has been going strong! Our students have been keeping busy wrapping up their school year, and we are thrilled to share highlights from the last few months with you!

• In March, GK Leaders held the 25th Annual Youth Conference at Baruch College in Manhattan. Planned, coordinated and facilitated entirely by students, the Conference was a remarkable event and an inspiring tribute to the spirit of youth activism that Global Kids has fostered for the past two and a half decades. More than 600 youth and educators, including 21 students from GK Washington, D.C., attended the daylong event that boasted more than 30 interactive workshops led by GK students, guest speakers from partner organizations, and performances by our very own GK Undesirable Elements program participants. Topics for the day--all focused on the theme of Youth Activism--included climate justice, education, juvenile justice, LGBT rights, immigration rights, women’s rights, and many more.

• On May 29th, six GK Leaders participated in a panel Q&A with Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, at the High School for Global Citizenship (HSGC) in Brooklyn, NY. Ambassador Power spoke about the importance of youth involvement in foreign policy. HSGC students were able to ask her questions about her career and her position on current events, as well as ask for academic and professional advice. Ambassador Power was quite impressed with GK Leaders’ knowledge on domestic and international affairs, and many students lef the panel inspired to learn more about political careers.

• On June 6th , GK students from the four Wingate Campus high schools in Brooklyn held an Impact Day with Deloitte & Touche employees. Students learned a lot through the career panel and college exploration activities, and all participants celebrated working together to beautify the school grounds through gardening projects.

• On June 11th, GK students from the Human Rights Activists Project held a rally and press conference calling for comprehensive climate change education in NYC public schools. GK was joined by New York City Council Members Costa Constantinides, Donovan Richards, and Carlos Menhaca, as well as representatives from the Alliance for Climate Education, the CUNY Law School Center for Urban Environmental Reform, and UPROSE. A petition to NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio and NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña has been drafted, asking the Department of Education to mandate climate education for all K-12 students. To sign the petition and help our students achieve their goal, click here! Our youth were also able to show their dedication, passion and breadth of knowledge on television! GK Leaders Eduardo Salgado, Yassmine Hussein, and Annie Willis, who was directly affected by Superstorm Sandy, were interviewed by NY1 and did a fantastic job of explaining why climate education for NYC students is vital. Click here to see the clip!  

Thanks to your generosity, GK youth have continued to experience unparalleled educational opportunities and have been empowered to take action on issues they feel passionate about. We have many amazing activities planned this summer, and we cannot wait to share them with you soon! 

Links:

• Sign GK Leaders' NYC Climate Education Petition!
• NY1 Interviews Three GK Leaders on Climate Education
• For more information, visit our website!