13,000 Under-Served Students To Expand Their Worlds Through Global Kids Programs In New School Year

New York NY - The start of the new school year will be particularly special for more than 13,000 students and educators whose academic world will stretch far beyond the classroom – indeed, around the entire globe - as part of the Global Kids program.

Global Kids is the foremost nonprofit dedicated to educating and inspiring urban youth to become global citizens and community leaders. In addition to the in-school participants, millions of other youth benefit from the organization's online programming.

"We are very excited to begin another academic year with our strongest lineup yet of substantive, enlightening programs," said Carole Artigiani, Founder and Executive Director of Global Kids. "But the most exciting and rewarding part comes at the end of the school year, when we see how the youth in Global Kids' programs have grown, developed a more global perspective, taken action on issues they care about, and gained opportunities to pursue higher education."

Global Kids addresses the urgent need for young people to acquire the global perspective and strong leadership skills necessary to succeed in the 21st century. Participants have opportunities to meet with leading experts in international policy (such as the Council on Foreign Relations), to use sophisticated technology (including the Second Life program), and to take direct action in their communities (for example, the Human Rights Activist Project), among many other activities. The results each year are very impressive. More than 90% of Global Kids' participants graduate and go on to attend college, despite multiple barriers to success.

Nearly 300,000 New York City public high school students are returning to the classroom this fall. Most of them come from underserved communities and attend schools with graduation rates of only about 50%. Through the support of educational nonprofit Global Kids, however, thousands of these students will overcome the many barriers that stand between them and academic success.

This year, Global Kids will conduct programs at more than 20 public schools and its own new headquarters in Manhattan. Students will have the opportunity to learn through Global Kids' proven youth development model, which educates students about substantive foreign policy issues, engages them in interactive, hands-on activities, and provides them with opportunities to exercise their leadership skills. Global Kids also offers additional opportunities to all of New York City's high school students. Some of the organization's initiatives this year will include:

• Power of Citizenry Leadership Program. Through Global Kids' flagship leadership program, nearly 600 young people will acquire leadership skills, an understanding of global issues, and exposure to higher education and career opportunities. Participants have a positive impact on more than 2,500 of their peers by coordinating and leading events such as the Global Kids Annual Youth Conference, digital media projects, classroom workshops, public awareness campaigns, and presentations, among others.
• High School for Global Citizenship (HSGC). Global Kids is the community partner for a leading public high school in Brooklyn. Now in its fourth year, HSGC offers its students a rigorous, international affairs-based curriculum that is supplemented by comprehensive after-school programs and events. HSGC students also have incredible opportunities to gain policy experience through trips to the City's major international institutions like the United Nations, worldwide travel, and internships at international businesses and organizations.
• Online Leadership Program. In this nationally recognized program, students work with sophisticated technology to create online media projects related to global issues. Global Kids offers a number of programs that give youth the tools to create educational games, work in virtual worlds, construct machinima (digital movies made using interactive three dimensional environments), and take part in online dialogues. Among these programs are the Microsoft-funded Playing 4 Keeps, an after-school program in which young people create educational online games, and the MacArthur Foundation-funded Virtual Video Project, in which youth create digital movies using the virtual world of Second Life.
• Service-Learning Curriculum. In collaboration with the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development and The After-School Corporation, more youth programs at 60 sites around the city will offer a service-learning curriculum developed by Global Kids. The intensive youth development program will combine meaningful community service with content-rich instruction to involve youth in substantive projects and educate them about civic responsibility.
• Programs with the Council on Foreign Relations. With the world's leading foreign policy think tank, Global Kids conducts an ongoing series of roundtables for youth, career programs, and an intensive institute focused on U.S. foreign policy. During the roundtable services, youth participate in discussions with leading policy experts on issues like human trafficking, global warming, and the role of international organizations. In addition, students who recently participated in an intensive summer institute will organize projects at their schools to promote dialogue about foreign policy issues.

SOURCE: Global Kids, Inc.