International Baccalaureate Announces Global Youth Action Fund Winners

Students Receive Mentorship, Online Training, and More Than $230,000 to Develop Sustainable Development Ideas

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, September 6, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- The International Baccalaureate (IB), a global leader in international education, announced 10 United States winners of the inaugural Global Youth Action Fund award. The award includes up to a $3,000 grant per awardee aged 12 to 19 for creating and building projects and initiatives that have a social impact on their communities. The Global Youth Action Fund aims to shine a light on the impressive work young people are doing around the globe, both at IB World Schools and beyond.

The full list of awardees (and descriptions of their projects) may be found at Youth In Action - International Baccalaureate^® (ibo.org). More than 300 students from 48 countries are being recognized for their projects.

“At the IB we create opportunities which foster independent learning and encourage curiosity among students worldwide. We know young people are concerned about the local and global challenges affecting their future, and we want to enable them to transfer that concern to action that contributes to building a better future and better world,” said Mr. Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the IB.

Since the launch of the grant, the IB has received more than 500 applications from inspirational students around the globe. Of the 101 projects awarded, 17.8% are non-IB schools, underscoring the IB’s dedication to making its educational programs accessible to a broad cohort of students, breaking down barriers, and ensuring inclusion far beyond the student’s local context and community.

The Global Youth Action Fund is part of the IB’s commitment to elevate, empower, and support youth voices as part of its Festival of Hope. The Festival of Hope brings together diverse voices and experiences to explore what it will take to inspire and transform humanity and address the complex challenges young people face today.

To participate, students submitted projects and ideas aimed at supporting one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and were reviewed on the following criteria: impact, stage of project, collaboration, and school support. Apart from project funding, awardees receive mentorship and online training in social entrepreneurship to transform and develop further their powerful ideas to make an impact on their community.

United States finalists include:

Ryan Honary - Newport Harbor High School - Newport Beach, CA – Climate Solutions

Naomi Kim, Jonah Gordon, and Christian Bricker – Mira Costa High School – Manhattan Beach, CA – Take-Home Tutoring

Adrianna Bäumle, Devin Bäumle, Noah Hjorth, Emily Johnson, Theodore Sitzman, and Preethi Syverson – Pasadena, CA – The Ohana Project

Amelia Williams, Sebastian Esparza-Forero, and Utshaho Gupta - Atlanta International School – Atlanta, GA – Clear Talk

Audrey Hsu, Kathleen Hsu, and Chloe Chen – St. Francis High School –Mountain View, CA - The Coffee Grounds and Gardening Initiative

Doaa Shahid and Ammaarah Hussain - Al-Arqam Islamic and College Preparatory School – Sacramento, CA - Promoting Menstrual Equity for Refugees

Adam Belouad, Elbetel Kiros, and Grace Calabrese - Meridian High School – Falls Church, VA – Hand to Hunger

Maya Manchester and Laiba Ali - Thomas A. Edison High School – Alexandria, VA - Period101

Grayson Houston-Henderson - Washington International School – Washington, DC - The Sea Turtle Conservation Fund

Maurits Acosta - Hialeah-Miami Lakes SHS – Hialeah, FL - Virtutem Populo.

“In the spirit of nurturing young leaders and their unwavering commitment to positive change, we proudly salute our Global Youth Action Fund awardees,” Olli-Pekka Heinonen continued. “They are the heralds of a brighter tomorrow. We look forward to seeing more leadership from these young and inspiring leaders as they continue to contribute to building a more sustainable, equitable, and just world.”

Awardees’ achievements serve as a source of inspiration for fellow students, educators, and communities worldwide, showing that young people can drive meaningful change. The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers four high-quality, challenging educational programs to students aged 3-19 in 159 countries, with the aim of cultivating students’ global-mindedness, complex problem-solving, and critical thinking skills for learning and excellence.

For more information or to schedule an interview with an IB spokesperson, please contact media@ibo.org

About the IB
Founded in 1968, the International Baccalaureate (IB) pioneered a movement of international education and now offers four high-quality, challenging educational programs to students aged 3-19. The IB gives students distinct advantages by providing strong foundations, critical thinking skills, and proficiency for solving complex problems while encouraging diversity, curiosity, and a healthy appetite for learning and excellence. In a world where asking the right questions is as important as discovering answers, the IB champions critical thinking and flexibility in study by crossing disciplinary, cultural, and national boundaries. Supported by world-class educators and coordinators, the IB currently engages with more than 1.9 million students in over 5,700 schools across 159 countries. To find out more, please visit www.ibo.org/.

Dan Rene
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IB Global Youth Action Fund