Are you a high school student who wants to be a part of shaping global education for youth in the Pittsburgh region? Are you passionate about global issues, cultural understanding, and elevating youth voice?
Then consider applying for the Youth Board or Youth Fellows program!
The Youth Fellows and Youth Board leadership and career development programs provide high school students with hands-on educational and professional development. Through the Fellows program and Board, you will have the opportunity to work alongside changemakers to lead the future of global learning in Pittsburgh and beyond.
- – Creative, innovative changemaker
- – Passionate about building global learning opportunities
- – Care about global issues, amplifying youth voice, and striving for innovation
You don’t have to have been involved in the Council’s or Global Minds’ programs before, you don’t have to have been a leader of your school’s clubs or taken AP courses or gifted education programming.
- – Participate in a mix of in-person and virtual professional development sessions during the the summer (estimated 4 in-person meetings)
- – Engage in virtual Council work during the school year (5 hours/week for Youth Fellows, 5 hours/month for Youth Board
- – Lead in-person workshops for adults and educators (estimated 3-5 in-person workshops)
- – Attend regularly scheduled meetings with their team lead and/or board subcommittee
- – Collaborate with other Youth Fellows and Youth Board members
- – Attend in-person Council events and serve as an ambassador in your school and community
Click here to apply!
Questions? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions or contact alicia@worldpittsburgh.org.
Meet our 2023-24 Youth Fellows and Youth Board members!
Youth Fellows
Lucia M. — Careers & Conferences, Public Programs
I am a current junior at Upper Saint Clair High School. Some of my favorite hobbies include singing, speech and debate, and shopping. I also really love listening to music. Some of my favorite artists are Taylor Swift, Lana Del Ray, and SZA, and my favorite subject in school is math. What drew me to apply for the youth fellows program were the immense opportunities I would have to share and listen to voices in the Pittsburgh community as well as bolster my experience working with local nonprofits. As a youth fellow, I look forward to working with bright and diverse students in order to help achieve the councils’ goals of fostering youth-adult partnerships and education. I additionally am very excited to educate myself as much as I can through the leadership seminars, council events, etc.
Tina W. — Careers & Conferences, Youth Programs
Hi, I’m Tina, a current sophomore at North Allegheny. I applied for this position because I wanted to have a greater impact on my local community and further explore my global interests. One day, I aspire to have a career in international diplomacy, but my current interests include Dungeons and Dragons, Debate, Model UN, and baseball (Let’s Go Bucs!). My favorite classes at school are Art History, Chemistry, Latin, and English. I’m looking forward to working in this organization!
Julia T. — Communications
I was motivated to apply for the Youth Fellows program because I seek to inspire positive change within my community. I look forward to collaborating with others and using my social media and graphic design skills to create a strong online presence and sense of community for adults and youth. In my free time, I enjoy writing and being involved in musical theater and dance.
Izzy L. – Global Minds
Hello! My name is Izzy, and I am a sophomore at Upper St. Clair High School. What drew me to apply for this position was to educate my community and encourage others to pay it forward. I hope to help people realize what happens outside of our communal bubble, and understand the local impacts. I have started my own nonprofit in order to spread awareness and boost the voices in Myanmar, who are in the midst of a civil war, and I have raised $4k+ for this effort. I hope to make similar impacts in a multitude of ways in this position as well. My passion in school is history, literature, and advocacy. I plan to go into international law as a career. In my free time, I play the electric guitar, enjoy listening to music, and spending time with loved ones. I also love to travel, and I speak 6 languages!
Morgan M. — Youth Voice & Partnerships, Hybrid Programs
Morgan is a rising junior at Oakland Catholic High School. She currently works as an intern at SLB Radio Productions, where they use radio and media to “amplify” the voices of young people in order to educate and build community. Outside of working, she loves to bake, explore new languages, and spend time with her friends and family. Morgan applied for the Youth Fellow Program because she believes that youth voice is the future and, as someone who already works to amplify youth voices, this program was perfect for her! As a youth fellow, she looks forward to opening people’s minds to the importance of youth perspectives and exploring global issues with the other fellows.
Praneeth O. — Youth Voice & Partnerships, Virtual Programs
Hi! My name’s Praneeth. As a Youth Fellow, I want to spread the word about all the incredible things the World Affairs Council has to offer to my peers in school and in my community. I hope to bring more attention to the Council. I was drawn to applying because the values of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh match closely with my own. I want to be part of an organization that reflects my beliefs and priorities on issues ranging from climate change to community problems. Some things I like doing in my free time are listening to music, star-gazing, and the occasional physics problem. Nice to meet you!
Giuliana A. — Fundraising & Development
Hi my name is Giuliana and I will be the Fundraising and Development Fellow. I was drawn to the Youth Fellows progam because of all the amazing opportunities the Council has to offer. I’m looking forward to meeting all the other talented Fellows and hope to grow as a global learner over the next year. One of my goals in life is to travel all across the world and being a part of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh is a wonderful first step! Some of my favorite things to do in my free time are skiing and snowboarding, hanging out with friends and being a part of my school’s cheer team. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity and cannot wait to meet all my other fellows.
Youth Board
Makenzie S.
I am excited to join the Youth Board for the 2023-24 school year. I’m an artist and current student at Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12. My favorite practices are ceramics and painting. However, I also enjoy learning and experimenting with new skills. Recently, I have been crocheting, screen-printing, and wood burning as my current hobbies. Through this position, I’m looking forward to helping create a foundation for learning that better suits the diverse needs and perspectives of the youth community. Initially, I was drawn to this program because of the possibility of being a contributor to change for my community with fellow peers across the city. Additionally, I’m excited to explore resources and gain skills that will allow me to grow in my advocacy and future development individually and in my generation.
Aavin M.
Natalia C.
I applied to the Youth Board program because I want to be a leader and educate others on global issues that influence us locally. We live in a global society and a greater understanding of diversity leads to greater inclusion. I am excited to be part of an organization that allows youth to share their voice, so we can create an inclusive environment. I love to cook and try new foods, play softball, and ski with friends. Next year I am excited to take a psychology class to learn more about why people do the things they do.
Avery N.
Hello! I am Avery, a rising senior for the 2023-2024 school year at North Allegheny Senior High School. I began my journey with the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh in 2022, when I was selected as a Global Travel Scholar and had the life-changing opportunity to study global health and humanitarian action in Switzerland! Within my involvement in the Youth Board, I hope to aid in the GTS process and help to organize events that draw students into the amazing opportunities that the Council offers to the current youth, such as the conference that I myself attended that introduced me to the Global Travel Scholarship! I also look forward to learning from those who have more wisdom than I that work within the Council, as I am sure they will guide me to bettering my skills as a leader. In my free time, I am the current communications director of NA For Change, a coalition of individuals who work to place the issues of diversity, inclusion, equity, and antiracism at the forefront of the community’s attention while advocating for the implementation of a set of immediate and tangible solutions to positively benefit the community and its students. Other than that, I love going to concerts and listening to music, especially Phoebe Bridgers!
Sophie G.
My name is Sophie and I’m going to be a junior at Seneca Valley High School. I applied for the Youth Board program because I am interested in promoting global education in the region while supporting the mission of the Council. I believe that youth voice and youth-adult partnerships are key parts of this mission and I’m looking forward to contributing my voice and working with the rest of the Youth Board! In my free time I like painting, music, and anything to do with the arts. I love movies and books, as well as running. I also love to travel. I’m in Youth and Government and my school’s student council. My favorite subjects are English and History, and the best part of my day is spending time with my family and friends.
Pavel M.
I am looking forward to collaborating with fellow youth, our Board of Directors, and the community to represent the interest of young people. This organization caught my attention because of the commitment they make to listening and gauging youth opinions and opportunities. I am a junior at Taylor Allderdice High School and I enjoy history, political discussions, and conversing with people of all ages. I am a member of the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council, I write for the student newspaper and enjoy serving on my school’s Spanish Club administration.
Nandana M.
Hi! My name is Nandana and I am currently a junior at South Fayette High School. The World Affairs Council is something I’ve always been drawn to. Giving back to the community, creating a better environment for my peers, and building a better future for YOUTH is something not only the council stands for, but I, myself, try to advocate for as well. Throughout high school I have been involved in several clubs, but my favorites and the ones I hold state titles for consist of HOSA, TSA, and Public Forum Speech and Debate. I have a deep interest in pediatric medicine and hope to pursue a career in that field. In my free time, I love to hang out with my friends, write and advocate about on-going topics, and dance — I am so excited to join the next cohort of the Youth Board and to amplify youth voices throughout the greater Pittsburgh region!
Tom O.
I just want to be a positive leader and contributor to the community and I personally feel a big step in pursuing this role is being a youth board representative for the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. I’m looking forward to creating relationships with youth adult leaders that can help me accomplish goals in the future (college, jobs, resume, etc.) and become a leader for the youth whether that would be inspiring them, encouraging them or being a positive role model for them. I like watching soccer with my families and friends, often making a weekend tradition of watching the Premier League, the top flight English division. I like playing with my friends, more specifically, embarking on games like Ultimate Frisbee. My favorite classes in my school, Baldwin High School are Trigonometry, Statistics, Spanish and US History.
