NEW YORK (PIX11) -- As we continue to observe Black History Month, some focus is turning to an organization that is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Since 1989, Global Kids has been at the forefront of developing educational and social opportunities that kids don't necessarily get in the classroom.
Global Kids has had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of inner city kids by helping them build the resilience and confidence necessary to navigate all the challenges of growing up.
“Our goal for Global Kids is to build young leaders who are ready for the world," executive director Dominique Jones said.
The New York-based nonprofit is building those leaders from the 10,000 students it reaches each year. They are from low- and middle-income communities throughout New York City and Washington, D.C.
Jones understands why so many of those kids lack the ability to excel in life.
"The problem is, many of those communities are under-resourceful, so they don’t have the ability to help young people get to the next level," Jones said.
Global Kids offers in-school, after-school and summer programs. Students engage in service projects and participate in workshops dealing with global issues.
“We have a lot of activities that expose them to the ideas and purpose around human rights. We also help them to apply those experiences and those goals,” Jones said.
Eighteen-year-old Zahra Fatima, a senior at John Adams High School in Queens, was one of five Global Kids students sent to Dubai last summer to participate in a UN climate change conference. She found it to be a rich experience.
“Having the opportunity to travel, I became more independent and I learned more about the world and I learned to be on my own, to stand up on my own two feet," Fatima said.
“We give them opportunities they may not have in the classroom, but we definitely allow them to apply their learning from the classroom in their activities that we have them engaged in," Jones said. "They have gone to the Dominican Republic to build waterways so that those families could drink clean water. Things we take for granted. They've gone to Ghana to build a connection with other young people across the African continent.”
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Global Kids lent a helping hand at a soup kitchen in Washington, D.C., where they assisted in cutting, chopping and peeling fresh produce.
Funded by government grants and private donations, Global Kids is now celebrating its 35th anniversary and the 200,000 students it has guided to their future.
“Our goal is to be sure that young people see the future and can actually see a pathway and achieve their goal in the future," Jones said.
The program has had such a positive impact on young lives that 99% of the students who participated graduated high school, and of that number, 93% have gone on to college, with many earning scholarships and financial support.
Global Kids' offices are located at 102 Madison Ave. in Manhattan. The nonprofit's phone number and email is 212-226-0130 and [email protected]
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