Global Kids Goes to the White House!
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GK Leaders Anthony Neciosup and Nsilo Mavour at the White House for the "Beating the Odds" Summit
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On July 23, two
Global Kids Leaders, Nsilo Mavour and Anthony Neciosup, traveled to Washington, DC to participate in First Lady Michelle Obama's Reach Higher "Beating the Odds" Summit.
The First Lady welcomed more than 130 college-bound students from across the country. These students were sponsored by 70 outstanding non-profit organizations that promote college access, including Global Kids, and represented a mix of urban, rural, foster, homeless, special needs, and under-represented youth who have overcome substantial obstacles to persist through high school and make it to college.
The day-long event included a panel moderated by E! News host Terrence Jenkins, which featured First Lady Michelle Obama, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, musical artist Wale, and Manuel Contreras, a rising senior at Brown University. The First Lady gave this advice to the students, "The doubters will be there no matter how hard you work or high you rise. Don't listen to them."
President Obama paid a surprise visit to the summit to offer words of encouragement. Anthony Neciosup, Global Kids Leader, recent Long Island City High School graduate and current New York University student says, "I thought people were cheering for Wale and then I saw the top of President Obama's head and I started freaking out as well. Seeing the First Lady and the President was a very inspiring, rewarding experience."
GK Leader Nsilo Mavour, recent Brooklyn Technical High School graduate and now American University freshman, says of his visit, "Simply put, it was amazing. People like me rarely have such opportunities, so being at the White House meant the world. It meant that Global Kids believes in you, your President and your First Lady believe in you, and with all that and family behind you, you can achieve anything."
Click here to read a Queens Courier article about Anthony Neciosup's experience at the White House.
To see more pictures of the event, visit our Flickr page or click here.
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Making Documentaries and Understanding Haiti
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GK Leaders in Haiti making their documentary
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This summer, Global Kids took eight GK Leaders to the Ciné Institute in Jacmel, Haiti to study film-making and to examine Haitian cultural and political issues. The one-week trip was part of an
on-going partnership between Global Kids and
Ciné Institute
, the only professional film school in Haiti. In 2012, a group of Global
Kids visited Haiti, and GK has been providin
g training and technical assistance to Ciné Institute staff on how to integrate GK methodology into its programs over the past two years.
GK Leaders participated in an intensive pre-departure institute where they examined Haiti's history and its current political issues. When they arrived in Jacmel, the students quickly got to work on learning the basics of filmmaking, determining their film topics (Haiti and the Dominican Republic or International Aid Issues in Haiti), and then shooting their films.
GK Leader, Jerome Elie Castle, age 15 from the Academy of Health Careers, says of his trip, "I made a lot of new friends, and learned more about a culture that people often talk negatively about. I now have a much better perspective on Haiti."
Click here to see pictures from the trip on our Flickr page.
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Global Kids-DC Goes to South Africa
In partnership with the Washington, DC Department of Employment Services' (DOES) Marion Barry Youth Leadership Institute (MBYLI), 15 GK-DC Leaders took a life-changing trip to South Africa this summer.
The MBYLI is an ongoing collaboration between GK-DC and the DOES to expose DC youth year-round to career and leadership training in international affairs. Funding for the trip was provided by the DOES with support from The NEA Foundation and many generous individual donors.
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GK-DC Leaders in Cape Town
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Before departing for South Africa, the students participated in a five-week intensive foreign policy institute held at Johns Hopkins' School for Advanced International Studies to help familiarize them with South African history and make connections between racial and economic justice issues in South Africa and their own communities.
Once in South Africa, the students lodged with homestay families in a Cape Town township, met with local high school students to
discuss South African history and current events, visited Robben Island, walked the District Six neighborhood with a former resident as their guide, traveled to Tshwane (the sister city of Washington, DC) to meet with officials at the Mayor's office, among many other activities.
Click here to view pictures from the trip on GK's Flickr page.
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Cultural Exchange a
nd Leadership in Japan
In August, Global Kids took nine students to Japan for a youth leadership and cultural exchange trip generously funded by the US-Japan Foundation with support from ELS Educational Services.
Before the trip, the students imm
ersed themselves in
Japanese
culture in an intensive pre-departure institute at Global Kids where they took
Japanese
language lessons, met with the Education and Outreach team from the New Yor
k Japanese
Consulate, spent a day with exchange students from
Japan
, and read books
on Japanese history, among many other activities. In New York and Japan, the students engaged in a study of US-Japan foreign policy issues and matters of national interest.
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GK Leaders and Japanese high school students in Kamakura, Japan
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After they arrived in Japan, the students lodged with homestay families, worked closely with Japanese youth from
Katariba (a non-profit educational organization devoted to helping victims of the earthquake and tsunami), visited a solar agricultural park in Fukushima, interviewed disaster victims, among many other activities.
At the end of the trip, the students presented their findings on Japan's disaster relief efforts at Tokyo University.
Watch the news clip from Japanese news organization Yomiuri Online
here about GK Leaders' presentations at Tokyo University.
Click
here to see the photos from the trip on our Flickr page.
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Partnering with Community Schools
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Community Schools Forum that Global Kids organized at Global Neighborhood Secondary School last year
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Over a year ago,
Ma
yo
r Bill de Blasio launched an unprecedented effort to create Community Schools to bolster academic achievement for New York City public school children
. Today, there are more than 100 Community Schools and Global Kids serves as the lead community based organization (CBO) partner for three of these schools in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens. Working with other community based organizations, school leaders, and community stakeholders at Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists, Global Neighborhood Secondary School, and John Adams High School, Global Kids provides comprehensive programming centered on youth development, social and emotional wellness, and community engagement.
Tiffanie Lewis-Durham, Global Kids' Director of Community Schools, says, "I am excited about Global Kids' involvement in the Community Schools program! One of our strengths as an organization includes our ability to look at a global picture to then shape our local contexts. Our work in Community Schools allows us to bring together talented staff, critical resources, and community stakeholders to create a system of great schools, while considering an individual community school's context and needs."
Click here to read an article in the Hunts Point Express about our work last year at a community school in the Bronx, Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists (to find the article, type "Global Kids" in the search button).
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Our Award
-Winning Summer Program at the CFR Wraps Up Another Session
This past July, 28 students participated in Global Ki
ds' Summer Institute at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). For the past 11 years, Global Kids has held its Summer Institute at the CFR engaging high school soph
omor
es and juniors in substantive human rights and foreign policy issues through intensive workshops, lectures from experts in foreign affairs, and field trips. The topics covered at the institute are often not introduced in most of the students' school-year curriculum.
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GK Summer Institute students presenting their research at the CFR
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This year, the CFR students learned about issues ranging from the Greek debt crisis to the rise of ISIS, heard from speakers such as Leslie Gelb, Samantha Wright, Kambala Mu
savali, Richard Haass and Robert Rubin and visited places like The New York Times, United Nations, and Adelphi University.
After his talk, Former Secretary of the Treasury and current co-chair of the Council on Foreign Relations Robert Rubin exclaimed how impressed he was by our students' questions and he asked how they became so informed. GK Leader Komalpreet said she became so knowledgeable on world affairs through Global Kids and the CFR Summer Institute.
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Expanding Teachers' Digital Learning Capacity
As part of 2015 summer programming, Global Kids conducted an intensive professional development for teachers on Long Island as part of the iDesign Program.
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iDesign training session with educators and students
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Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation, iDesign is a collaborative effort among Hofstra University, Global Kids and 10 middle schools in suburban Long Island and New York City. iDesign develops technological fluency in youth from underserved communities by supporting them in the creation of interactive computer games that are culturally and socially relevant. Global Kids develops curriculum and provides regular professional development training to the iDesign educators as they work to improve students' STEM understanding through game design during the school year.
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Summer Fun and Enrichment for GK Middle Schoolers
Over 170 students enrolled in Global Kids' middle school summer camps held at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS), PS/IS 109, School for Human Rights and New Directions Secondary School. Students went on fun and enriching field trips to places like Governor's Island, Central Park and Randall's Island. They learned how to code and create their own video games through GK's NYC Haunts Program.
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GK middle schoolers on a scavenger hunt in downtown Manhattan
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At our WHEELS summer camp, the site partnered with the art collective "No Longer Empty." The students created art at the old Bronx Courthouse, which was featured at an exhibit at that location. All our camps participated in the WNYC Radio Rookies program where students got to learn how to produce radio programs from experts in the field. At the end of the camp sessions, the campers were treated to a private movie screening at the IFC Center in the West Village.
We're excited for the 2015-2016 school year in middle schools and are thrilled to launch a new program at Q300 middle school in Queens! Check out
this video to learn more about our middle school programs, funded primarily through the Department of Youth and Community Development's SONYC initiative.
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GK Leaders Honored for Their Climate Activism and Leading the Way to Climate Education
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GK Leaders Kazi and Annie being honored at the French Consulate by Human Impacts Institute
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In June, GK Leaders Kazi Ateea and Annie Willis were honored by the Human Impacts Institute at the French Consulate for their climate activist work. The event, "Climate sHeroes," mixed art and climate activism. Posters of Annie and Kazi, along with the other activists, were unveiled and musicians and performance artists performed pieces inspired by the activists' work. Annie and Kazi had a song and a dance performance piece created for them! Click here to listen clips of an interview that Kazi and Annie did for the Human Impacts Stories project.
This summer our climate activists have been gearing up to help pass climate education Resolution 0375-2014 in the NYC Council. In August, they met with NYC Council Member Costa Constantinides, our partner on the climate education resolution and Environmental Protection Committee Chair, to discuss how to get the resolution adopted. Click here to sign the petition created by GK Leaders urging NYC Council Members to pass the resolution by this winter. Thank you!
In November, we're looking forward to sending Global Kids Leaders to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21) through our partnership in the Sustainaware initiative.
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Helping GK Leaders Succeed Beyond High School
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GK staffer Jessica giving GK students a tour of Columbia University
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This summer, Global Kids launched two College and Career Planning Institutes, a new component to our College and Career Readiness Program.
The institutes took place at Curtis High School in Staten Island and John Adams High School in Queens and were designed to give rising seniors a jump start on the college application process. Over 20 students participated in the Curtis High School program and 15 attended the John Adams site. At both schools, the students took college tours, worked on college and scholarship applications, explored college choices and visited local businesses to explore post-college career options.
Click here to read the Staten Island Advance article about our College and Career Planning Institute at Curtis High School.
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Global Kids has been introducing students to human rights and global issues for over 25 years. Help us continue our important work.
Support Global Kids today!
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The GK5K is back! Join us for our fun run/walk to support GK's College and Career Readiness Program at Flushing Meadows Park
on October 17.
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Global Kids is proud
of all the accomplishments
of our graduating seniors. Here's a list of their college acceptances.
Adelphi University
Alfred State University
American University
Baruch College
Berkeley College
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC)
Brooklyn College
Cayuga Community College
Cedar Crest College
City College
Clafin University
Clark Atlanta University
College of Staten Island
Delaware State University
Drexel University
Dutchess Community College
Florida Institute of Technology
Full Sail University
Fulton-Montgomery Community College
Genesee Community College
George Mason University
Goucher College
Hampton University
Hofstra University
Hostos Community College
Hudson Valley Community College
Hunter College
Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Iona College
Ithaca College
John Jay College
Johnson & Wales University
Johnson C. Smith University
Kingsborough Community College
LaGuardia Community College
Lasell College
Lehman College
Lincoln College
Long Island University
Lourdes University
Medgar Evans College
Mercy College
Middlebury College
Mohawk Valley
Monroe College
Montgomery College
Morgan State University
New England College
New York City College of Technology
New York University
Pace University
Prince Georges University
Queensborough College
Radford University
St. Bonaventure University
St. Francis College
St. John's University
Stony Brook University
SUNY Adirondack
SUNY Albany
SUNY Binghamton
SUNY Brockport
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Canton
SUNY College at Old Westbury
SUNY Cortlandt
SUNY Delhi
SUNY Geneseo
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Oswego
SUNY Potsdam
Syracuse University
Temple University
Tompkins Cortland Community College
University of Alabama, Birmingham
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of Connecticut
University of Hartford
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
University of New Hampshire
University of Santa Barbara
University of Tampa
University of Wisconsin
Virginia State University
West Virginia University
Woodbury University
Wright State University
York Community College
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Global Kids' Impact
2015 Global Kids Alumni Survey
73%
agreed that GK
influenced their choice of career and/or higher education program
88%
agreed that GK helped them pursue higher education
85% agreed that skills
developed in GK have made them more competitive in the job market
84%
of respondents are registered to vote
96% stated that GK increased their civic and community engagement
"GK was the first step towards my future. Participating in GK throughout high school exposed me to opportunities that have led me to my dream career."
--GK Alumnus
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Spotlight on GK Alum and Current Staff Member
Adana Austin
Adana spent the summer working on urban planning projects in South Africa. Here's what she has to say about what she accomplished there and how GK informed her work:
I worked with the South African Shack/Slum Dwellers International Alliance through one of their local NGO's, the Community Organisation Resource Center (CORC).
The Alliance works to create a platform for slum dwellers to have a voice in urban planning through slum upgrading projects, community savings, national and regional exchanges, and lobbying. I spent most of my time with CORC in the documentation team where I used the GK model of workshops to train community members in documentation so they can use their enumeration research and their own stories to seek more funding and infrastructure help from the city of Cape Town and to also teach other settlements about their processes. Some of the documentation training I did was introduction to documentation, poster making, video making, and story telling/writing. Click here to read a blog post that was created by the community through one of my writing workshops.
The work and the CORC was very special to me because this was the first time that they did community engagement like this. It was very moving to see that I was able to make connections and reach objectives as an English-speaking Brooklynite working with Xhosa-speaking communities in informal settlements in townships of Cape Town. My experience this summer shows how the Global Kids model works in an international setting.
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Check out our Tumblr page to read more about our students' summer international travel experiences.
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Global Kids has been introducing students to human rights and global issues for over 25 years. Help us continue our important work.
Support Global Kids today!
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