Being Global, Locally

Continuing on the thread of being a global citizen during the year (and not just on an international summer program)…  there are a few great organizations that offer high school students a structured program to make a difference on key global issues.  In most cases, the organization supports student clubs with materials, training, trips and resources to help raise awareness and funds to support international causes.

New Global Citizens has been a partner of Global Leadership Adventures for a few years.  They are a great organization that helps students set up clubs in their school and even sends a representative to your school to help train the team.  Each club picks an international NGO that they’ll support over the course of the year.

Global Citizen Corps is a project of Mercy Corps.  They also have resources for high school clubs.  But what’s really cool is their year-long Leadership program that includes a Leadership Summit with a select group of teens to New York and sets up meetings at the UN, with NGOs and teleconferences with other global leaders.  This articles tells more.

Amnesty International is probably the best known human rights organization.  There are thousands of Amnesty groups on college and high school campuses that engage in letter writing campaigns and petitions to governments to release political prisoners or improve human rights around the world.  Register your school group online and you will receive a toolkit to get started.  Or, if you’re a 1-person movement, use their great online activist toolkit and get started today.