NEW YORK, March 28, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Hundreds of students from more than 50 public high schools across New York City will come together to debate and discuss politics, with a focus on the 2008 election, and youth engagement at the Global Kids Annual Youth Conference.
The unique gathering of the city's youth will take place on Friday, April 4 at Baruch College's Mason Hall (17 Lexington Ave @ East 23rd Street) from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is organized by Global Kids, the foremost nonprofit organization in New York City specifically dedicated to educating students in underserved communities about international affairs. Moreover, diverse high school students in Global Kids' programs have planned the event and will lead all of the day's workshops. Three outstanding Global Kids participants will emcee the Conference: Devante Barret from Canarsie High School in Brooklyn; Nikisha Abraham from the High School of Global Citizenship in Brooklyn; and Laura Chang from the Academy of American Studies in Queens.
For 18 years, the Global Kids Youth Conference has provided a forum for the City's youth to discover and discuss the global trends that affect their lives. The entirely youth-organized, youth-led event will bring together a group of young people as diverse as New York City itself, all of whom will share their opinions about the challenges and opportunities that exist in the rapidly changing world. The Conference is the culmination of months of research, planning, and organization by the students in Global Kids' after school programs.
"This year's Conference theme is especially relevant to today's young people," said Carole Artigiani, founder and Executive Director of Global Kids, Inc. "Many high school students will be voting for the first time in the November election, and our democracy cannot work without an informed voting public that understands complex international issues. The Annual Youth Conference is an ideal venue for preparing young people from a range of backgrounds to be successful, socially active citizens in the 21st century."
Students will express their views on politics and youth engagement through a combination of interactive workshops, action projects, and performing arts.
This year's workshops will include: The Voting Process; Human and Civil Rights; The Role of Media in Politics; Immigration; Environmental Policy; Repressive Governance; Generating Political Change; Political Ideology; Global Education; Health Policy, and many more topical issues.
The all day event will feature a number of plenary speakers, including Sara Haile-Mariam, a politically active NYU student who will address the critical role of youth participation in the democratic process.
Experts and practitioners from the following major New York-based organizations and institutions will participate in the Global Kids Annual Youth Conference:
* Amnesty International * League of Women Voters * People for the American Way * Stonebridge * New Democracy Project * WITNESS * mobize.org * Concern Worldwide * Americans for Democratic * National Coalition against Action Censorship * CARE * Campaign for Educational Equity * DEMOS * NYCLU * Breakthrough * New Immigrant Community * Common Cause Empowerment * White House Project * Environmental Defense * Center for Constitutional * New Yorkers Against Gun Violence Rights * Empire State Pride Agenda * Ken Miller Capital * Voter Assistance Commission
The Global Kids Annual Youth Conference is made possible through the generous support of The Stephen and May Cavin Leeman Foundation, the New York City Department of Education, the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development, Baruch College, and many others. For more information on this event, please contact Global Kids at (212) 226-1030 x 112 or e-mail conference@globalkids.org.
2008 Global Kids Annual Youth Conference Program:
* 8:00AM Breakfast and Registration
* 9:00AM Opening Plenary
Welcoming Remarks - Carole Artigiani, Founder and
Executive Director, Global Kids
* 10:15AM Morning Youth-Led Workshops
* 12:15PM Lunch
* 1:00PM Afternoon Plenary
Plenary Speaker: Sara Haile-Mariam (NYU)
* 1:45PM Afternoon Youth-Led Workshops
* 3:45PM Closing Plenary and Performances
About Global Kids, Inc.
Founded in 1989, Global Kids' mission is to transform urban youth into successful students and global and community leaders by engaging them in socially dynamic, content-rich learning experiences. Through its leadership development and academic enrichment programs, Global Kids educates youth about critical international and domestic issues and promotes their engagement in civic life and the democratic process. Through professional development initiatives, Global Kids provides educators with strategies for integrating experiential learning methods and international issues into urban classrooms. Over ninety percent of the high school seniors who participate in Global Kids' leadership program graduate from high school.
The Global Kids, Inc. logo is available at http://www.primenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4850