Develop Global Youth Leaders in NYC and DC!

Dear Friend,

It has been an adventurous summer for our Global Kids Leaders, whether they are exploring college and career options or traveling abroad! Below are some of our favorite highlights from the last few months.

Summer Programming:

• Rising seniors from Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists (BSSWA) participated in a College and Career Intensive Week, during which they were exposed to various careers and academic options once they graduate from high school. During a field trip to the offices of Goldman Sachs in New York City, the students met professionals from the the Urban Investment Group and the Environmental Markets Group, who gave great career advice. They reminded our students to see college as an investment in themselves.

• Rising seniors at John Adams High School in Queens also got a jump start on the college process at their College and Career Summer Institute. Students worked on their college applications, learned about college options, prepared resumes, and were introduced to various career choices. The students also took a trip to tour Stony Brook University, where they met with admissions officers, toured the campus, and spoke with students and professors from the Psychology Department.

International Adventures:

• In June, ten Global Kids Leaders from John Adams High School in Queens took an incredible trip to Panama, Guatemala, and El Salvador on Peace Boat. The students met with indigenous communities, learned about local peace efforts, discussed ways to achieve the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) and much more.

• Fifteen Global Kids Leaders from Washington, DC traveled to South Africa in late July to learn about the impact and aftermath of Apartheid. In addition to hearing about the experiences of individuals who lived through Apartheid and partnering on projects with local youth, the DC students also led activities for refugee children at Sacred Heart College in Soweto, visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, engaged with their peers at The Rainbow Academy, Claremont High School, and Westerford High School in Cape Town, and visited community members and leaders from Langa Township and Gugulethu Township.

• Also in late July, ten Global Kids Leaders from NYC went to Japan for two weeks. Students engaged with youth from Katariba, and together they examined the impact of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Global Kids students also visited the coastal towns of Onagawa and Ishinomaki in the Tohoku region and met with residents who survived the tsunami. Our students are now creating a geo-locative game for young children in Japan that will help them memorize a route to safety should another tsunami strike the area.

During the international trips, Global Kids Leaders were encouraged to blog about their impressions as a way to share their experiences with their peers back home and abroad, You can read these blog posts on their Tumblr page by clicking here! All three groups of travelers will also hold talk-back sessions in the fall semester to share what they learned and what they brought back home to their communities. These sessions are open to family, friends, and the general public, so if you happen to be in New York City or Washington, DC, please join us!

These life-changing and transformative experiences that Global Kids offers to underserved youth during the summer are only possible thanks to support from friends such as yourself, for which we are truly grateful. We hope you’ve had a great summer, and we look forward to sharing all of the exciting things that we are planning for the new school year!

Sincerely,

Ana Sofia