"Being the change they wish to see..."

Four Members of the Colombia team

Do you want to feel proud of our young people?

If you do, I’ve got the perfect suggestion.

Take a moment to look at what a number of teens are doing here and in communities overseas.

The YMCA Global Teen Leadership program recently held their awards and recognition ceremony for Seattle area teens that travelled last summer to Colombia, Senegal and to Japan.

 
The kids are part of a twelve-month program designed to “develop international understanding, leadership skills and cultural competency.”
These young people are not passive visitors to a country, they provide service work in the community they visit. Some worked on refurbishing a schoolhouse, some in areas devastated by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and some were working on a water project in Senegal.

The kids stayed with host families, travelled the countryside and interacted with kids their own age as much as possible.

At the recent ceremony it was inspiring to hear the kids talk about how their trip impacted them. They spoke emotionally about their host families, other kids they met in Colombia, Senegal and Japan, and how they helped raise the money to fund their team.
No one gets left behind if they are selected to participate on a team.
Its one for all and all for one!
Every student touched on how their involvement with the YMCA Global Leadership program has changed they way they look at their school work, their place in society and their ability to create change in the world.

Could we possibly ask for any more?

Thank you YMCA for the great work you’re doing with our young people.

* Present members of the Global Teen Leadership program are in the process of finalizing their commitments to participate in the “European Y Festival in Prague, Czech Republic, 1 August to 10 August 2013.
An anticipated 10,000 young people, from across the world, will travel to Prague to find commonality and community with other young people “being the change they want to see in the world.”
See www.yefestival.com for more information on the conference.

If you know a young person interested in Prague, Korea or Japanese Language for 2013...and for more countries in 2014 such as Senegal, and Colombia. See: http://www.seattleymca.org/Locations/Global/Pages/Home.aspx

Let Kids Be Kids, Inc. is committed to supporting this incredible opportunity for our kids-