A powerful statement

"We are not only the citizens of the U.S., we are citizens of the world and global issues affect our fellow citizens. The youth have the power to galvanize and change the future."

When I heard this statement I knew I wanted to share it with a larger audience, so I decided to write this post.

In my eyes this helps to convey what our education department here at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF is trying to do. We too believe that we are all citizens of the world and that we can make a difference. We do it by providing free classroom resources through TeachUNICEF to educators so students can learn and discuss the global issues that are impacting their peers around the world.

What makes this statement even more profound is that it was written by a high school student! Last week, at the invitation of Global Kids, I spoke to 30 NYC youth about UNICEF. We not only discussed the foundational elements of UNICEF, but also had a larger discussion about the importance of supporting our global community.

Student responses, like the one above, allowed for thoughtful discussion and debate. I think this is a clear sign that students, when given the opportunity, can add to the discourse of how we can better support our global peers.