Learn, Lead Globally
“I like to know what’s going on in the world,” said Khadijah, a student from McKinley Technology High School. That’s what attracted her to the DC Summer Institute, a six-week international affairs program organized by Global Kids’ Washington, DC Program.
A New York and DC-based organization, Global Kids gives youth from underserved areas the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to succeed in school and become leaders in their communities and the world.
The Summer Institute, said Wida Amir, director of Global Kids DC, “connects the disconnected young people to the best of what Washington has to offer.”
Most DC-area participants are from Wards 7 and 8, where high school graduation rates are below 50 percent. The overall graduation rate for Global Kids participants, on the other hand, is 99 percent.
Khadijah was looking for a program where she could meet new people and travel—and the Institute is delivering. Talking with Australian students at the Australian Embassy has been one of the highlights so far, she said, as has getting to know the other students in the program too.
“The people in the program make it what it is,” she said.
Although she isn’t looking forward to the long plane trip ahead, Khadijah is eager for the opportunity to see South Africa firsthand and “get past stereotypical ideas of what a place might be like.” (Next)
About the Author: Tara Campbell is a crossover sci-fi writer living in Washington, DC. She volunteers her time for literacy organizations such as 826DC and the Books Alive! Washington Writers Conference. Follow her on Twitter at @TaraCampbellCom.