It's Our Money
#itsourmoney Youth led direct democracy
You(th) Got the Power
Name of Your Organization:
Global Kids, Inc.
Overview of the Project - Please provide a brief description of the project.
For our ‘You(th) Got the Power’ project, Global Kids, Inc. will select 20 youth leaders to help plan and execute a series of events in Spring 2021, focused on the three “It’s Our Money” priority areas of mental health, college and career planning, and youth leadership/civic engagement. Due to COVID-19 and resultant shutdowns, the young people GK consulted for this project are experiencing depression and other mental health issues and feel a strong desire to reconnect and create meaningful engagement with peers. GK’s team of trained youth development experts understand and empathize with these feelings and will serve as resources and guides for youth to create a slate of safe in-person and virtual events. These events will not only establish new skills and provide wellness opportunities for youth community participants, but they will also offer youth leaders the opportunity to develop their leadership, event planning, and mentoring skills, while receiving a stipend for their efforts.
- Mental Health & Wellness – Five youth leaders will be selected to coordinate two outdoor activities to promote better mental health and wellness. These activities will be undertaken in small groups (20 participants max per event), and youth will use social distancing protocols as safety precautions. Activities may include hiking, a park picnic, team building games, a drum/dance circle with our community partner Undesirable Elements, or no-contact sports like volleyball. Participating youth will receive masks and gift bags, and there will also be a gift card raffle as an incentive to attend.
- College & Career – Five high school seniors will collaborate to create two virtual college & career readiness events for younger (9th & 10th grade) students, providing insight into the college application/selection and financial aid process, among other topics. Senior mentors will also share wellness tips and life skills with their younger peers, including time management and organization techniques. Many high school students find the prospect of college selection daunting, and it is especially helpful to hear from peers who have recently and successfully gone through the process and can provide assurance and concrete examples. Each event will have a gift card raffle as an incentive to participate.
- Leadership & Civic Engagement – Ten high school students will coordinate two virtual events, bringing youth in the community together to discuss human rights issues that they care about; for instance, housing inequality, the gender pay gap, policing, voting rights, among others, and develop a proposal to address these issues, which they will then submit to elected officials. Youth will work together, building their communication and collaboration skills, while also creating impactful projects to solve real-world problems. Each event will have a gift card raffle as an incentive to participate.
We believe this agenda of dynamic, youth-driven events and activities will provide youth with productive, concrete ways to prepare for life after high school, support mental health and wellness needs, and have their voices heard during this very difficult time.
About Us: Global Kids educates, activates and inspires youth from underserved communities in New York to take action on critical issues facing our world, and has been a recognized leader in youth development, global education, digital learning and civic engagement for 31 years. We improve education and community outcomes for youth, ensuring they reach their full potential and become engaged, contributing members of society. Uniquely, our organization puts youth front and center in developing curriculum, conducting peer-to-peer outreach, and representing GK at important local and global events. In expression of our commitment to youth voice, two youth leaders always sit on the Global Kids board. We have had youth leaders attend and present at the UN Climate Change Conference, and our students have influenced policy both locally and in Albany, among many other achievements.
Which of the following issues does your project address?
- Issue 1 - Addressing Mental Health
- Issue 2 - Preparation for College and/or Career
- Issue 3 - Youth Advocacy Promotion
All of the above issues.
Youth Engagement - Please explain how you will engage youth in the planning and implementation of the project.
We began outlining ideas for this project after interviews and input from our youth, who said that they wanted more activities and trips, due to the toll that the pandemic has taken on mental health. Youth are looking for ways to engage with each other meaningfully both on and off screen, and many of them made suggestions for trips that will promote bonding as well as provide an outlet for the growth of leadership and mentorship skills.
In execution, this project will be youth-driven, with support from Global Kids staff. High school students will submit a written application and then participate in an interview with staff and/or recently graduated alumni. Once selected for the twenty youth leader positions, they will work collaboratively together under the guidance of one of our senior trainers, who will manage the overall project. Youth will be instrumental in running all the events and activities from conception through execution.
Budget - Your total project budget must equal $20,000 to be placed on the ballot for a youth vote. Please provide a brief description of what the funds would be used for to successfully implement your project. You will also need to download, fill in, and attach a full budget using this template.
Funds from the grant will be utilized to provide stipends for the 20 youth leaders, incentives ($30 gift cards and gift bags) for student participants, as well as food, PPE, travel and any additional expenses that may be incurred during in-person events. The grant will also support the salary of a senior staff trainer who will be involved in mentoring/training student leaders and organizing the events and a temporary consultant to assist with the mental health and wellness activities.
Timeline- Please describe the timeline for the implementation and completion of the project. All work for this project must be completed by June 30, 2021, which is the end of the city’s fiscal year and the deadline for the funds to be spent.
February:
- Staff begin planning for project execution, including recruiting students and creating training curriculum for youth leaders
- Student interviews for leader roles
March – April
- Student leaders are selected and begin the training and planning stage of the project
- Student leaders host two forums on a civic/social issue they identify with peers, including a panel at our virtual student conference on April 1, reaching over 200 peers.
May – June
- Senior student leaders host two College & Career events for younger peers (May)
- Student leaders host two outdoor mental health events (June)
- Proposal for elected officials developed by civic action student leaders (May-June)
July – August
- Student leader exit interviews
- Data collected & Global Kids reports back on completed projects
Project Activity Alignment - How does your project align with at least one of the following topics:
- Leadership skills development: organizing & advocacy trainings
- Stewardship of public spaces: public parks, transportation, etc.
- Youth and student engagement
- Civic education and advocacy
- Community outreach involving residents that have been historically underrepresented in or underserved by city government and its processes
This project aligns with topics 1, 3, 4 and 5. GK provides a platform and the necessary support for young people to excel in their personal and academic lives and to become community leaders and advocates for human rights. We use an assets-based youth development approach and co-facilitation model to engage youth, develop leadership and advocacy skills, and prepare young people from historically undeserved communities to engage in a pluralistic, democratic society.
This spring project will provide leadership skills development for the youth involved in planning and executing events around college preparation, mental health and civic action while inspiring them to gain knowledge and skills around social issues in their communities. Youth will learn how to communicate across many platforms, how to create deliverable content for their peers, and how to facilitate in-person and online events. Youth will further make a larger impact on their communities by proposing actionable remedies to important social and civic issues that they have workshopped with their peers. The participants who attend these planned events will further benefit from youth-centered and focused programming and will experience a sense of community as well as a chance to get their voices heard and make an impact.
What is your organization's area of focus?
- Children and youth related
- Advocacy and organizing
- Arts and culture
- Civic engagement
- Education and literacy
- Emergency management and disaster response
- Employment and workforce development
- Environment and sustainability
- Faith-based
- Food access
- Health and medicine
- Homelessness and/or affordable housing
- Human rights
- Human services
- Immigrants and/or refugees
- Justice related
- Legal services
- People with disabilities
- Senior services
- Women's issues
GK's focus areas include 1,2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14
Affirmations - Type "YES" below each statement to affirm that you are eligible to appear on the ballot for this process.
I confirm that my organization will be registered in the NYC Payee Information Portal and in PassPort, NYC’s online procurement system, in order to receive funding from the City of New York.
Yes
I confirm that my organization is able to front the costs of implementing this project. Organizations will be paid based on deliverables.
Yes
Completion of Deliverables: I understand all deliverables must be completed by June 30th, 2021.
Yes
I understand a condition of funding includes submission of a final report upon project completion, and participating in a debrief session with the CEC.
Yes
This idea proceeds to voting because:
Thank you for your proposal submission! Based on our review, your project is eligible to be placed on the ballot for a youth vote based on the sumbission guidelines. We may reach out if further information is required.
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