Develop Global Youth Leaders in NYC and DC!

Dear Friend,

We are so excited for our students as the end of the school year draws near! Not only are we so proud of the many accomplishments of our GK Leaders, we are also celebrating our graduating seniors! Here are some highlights we would like to share with you from the past few months:

• GK Leader Umamah was chosen to be an official delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). On March 17, she spoke at a panel about the importance of educating girls and keeping them engaged through adolescence.

• On April 8th, 80 GK Leaders hosted the GK Annual Youth Conference for over 600 students and educators at Baruch College. Planned and led entirely by our youth, the conference focused on issues related to immigration and migration and featured workshops, performances, speeches, and call-to-action activities. It was truly inspiring to witness GK Leaders stepping up and motivating their peers to be more involved in global affairs that affect us all. For photos from the event, click here!

• Inspired by the GK Annual Youth Conference, two groups of GK Leaders created their own versions of the conference for their peers! The High School for Global Citizenship in Brooklyn, NY hosted a conference on May 13th at their school, and they encouraged their classmates to examine the impact of gentrification on local communities, with a focus on police misconduct in gentrifying neighborhoods. The GK-DC Citywide program held its first-ever Youth Conference in Washington, DC on May 23rd at the Pepco Edison Place Gallery, where they focused on youth activism and facilitated workshops for over 50 participants.

• On Earth Day, GK Leaders in the Human Rights Activist Project experienced an incredible win! Resolution 0375, which mandates that climate education be taught at all New York City K-12 schools, was passed with overwhelming support in the New York City Council! After two years of working and campaigning with Councilmembers Costa Constantinides and Donovan Richards, GK Leaders are now taking the resolution to the New York State Department of Education. Click here to read an article in AM New York about the campaign.

• This semester has been very busy for our students in exploring their college options! We took over 250 GK Leaders to 15 college campuses. Visits typically included an official campus tour, meetings with admissions staff and student organizations, a meal in the dining hall, and exploration of the surrounding area. Schools toured included American University, Boston University, Columbia University, Drexel University, Duke University, Georgetown University, Hofstra University, Howard University, North Carolina State University, Rutgers University, Stony Brook University, SUNY New Paltz, Temple University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and University of Pennsylvania.

As the year comes to a close, we are looking forward to congratulating our graduating seniors and supporting them in getting ready for their college adventures! For underclassmen, we are thrilled to be offering three international trips during the summer holiday to Japan, South Africa, and on Peace Boat to China, Japan and South Korea! Be sure to check for an update in September about GK Leaders’ experiences abroad!

Thank you so much for supporting Global Kids Leaders achieve great things. Your donation directly helps our youth gain the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to succeed in school, achieve leadership in their communities, and make an impact, and we are truly thankful.

Sincerely,

Ana Sofia