LEADERS ACROSS THE WORLD 2023-24
This academic year, Leaders Across the World focused on scaling and further developing existing initiatives, including our Changemakers Across the World incubator program and Virtual Exchange. We focused on three thematic areas: Polarization, Environmental Stewardship, and Youth in Government.
Our goal was to foster a collaborative and productive environment for young people to discuss some of the world's most pressing issues, from political partisanship to carbon emissions. Our Changemakers Across the World program brought youth to the forefront of local issue solutions, by distributing over $3,000 in funding to innovative youth-led solutions.
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Workshop on Environmental Stewardship as part of our 2024 Changemakers Across the World Programming
As in previous years, our team worked one-on-one with each fellow to develop their project, recruit volunteers, and support them as they launched a successful local initiative. This year's cohort of Changemakers directed projects including educational support for students with special needs, lessons for students about public policy, a college textbook re-use system, and an Atlanta-based Art Expose highlighting the work of Haitian youth.
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Closing session for our 2024 Changemakers Across the World cohort
Outside of our Changemakers Across the World program, we also ran a Virtual Exchange that took participants through a free six-week global immersion program. Our participants engaged in thoughtful discussions about world issues, proposing solutions informed by cross-cultural collaboration. We developed over eighteen 45-minute workshops teaching youth about specific
global challenges, including a workshop titled "News in the Modern World: Expectations vs. Reality" and "Democracy, Extremism, and Outliers." We expanded our social media to access professional networks via LinkedIn, and created content that garnered 14,000+ views. We additionally secured over $2,500 in funding from the Youth Direct Action Fund and sent organization representatives to the Riley's Way Youth Leadership Summit in Bunker Hill, Pennsylvania.