Ready for the Future.

Our youth programs help young Pittsburghers acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and mindsets needed to take action on global issues. We seek to work alongside and amplify the voices of young people to be the leaders of today.

Connect with our Youth Programs for high school students in the following ways:

– Join or start a Global Minds Chapter at your school.
– Attend conferences designed by youth for youth, including the Emerging Global Leaders Conference and the World Affairs Institute.
– Apply to be a Youth Fellows or Youth Board member—applications open in March.
– Apply to travel abroad through our Global Travel Scholars program for students with high financial need—applications open in November.
– Sign up for the Council newsletter to stay up-to-date on these opportunities, event design committees, educator professional development, and more!

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Students

For over five decades, the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh has had a special focus on serving secondary schools throughout Western Pennsylvania.

Through our award-winning educational outreach programs, the Council focuses on student-led and designed initiatives that build advocacy skills and help youth understand and take action on global issues.

As citizens of an increasingly interconnected world and participants in a globalized workforce, students need to understand and think critically about our world—and the diverse cultures, perspectives, and interests comprising that world. Teachers turn to the Council for access to innovative educational programs that keep pace with the events and issues of today and build the skills and mindsets necessary to be future ready.

Through the use of digital tools and engagement strategies, students in Western Pennsylvania have the opportunity to collaborate with each other as well as their peers around the world.

In order to support youth voice and leadership, the Council works with a diverse coalition of students from the Pittsburgh region and beyond through our Youth Fellowship and Youth Board. The Youth Board serves as a thought-partner to the Council and our Board of Directors and guides the organization in how to best serve young people. The Youth Fellowship is a hands-on educational opportunity for high school students to work alongside Council teams on a weekly basis.

Our Youth Board members and Youth Fellows design and lead professional development workshops for educators and other adult allies who work with youth. This way, young people have agency in their learning and access to authentic leadership opportunities, strengthening our region’s educational systems and better developing its workforce and civic leaders.

GLOBAL MINDS

Change Your Mind. Change The World.

Global Minds is a school-based program of the Council that catalyzes youth-led action for inclusive and welcoming schools.

Learn More

Mission

Global Minds is a by-youth, for-youth extracurricular program created to combat the issues of cultural intolerance and discrimination by bringing together immigrant-origin students with their locally-born peers. Global Minds inspires students to form social bonds, build intercultural friends, and consider global issues through youth-led activities in students’ schools and communities.

Through the Global Minds curriculum and community-building activities, students practice conversational language skills and cultivate cultural humility, developing more globally-minded young leaders.

Vision

Vision: Global Minds reimagines schools as centers for youth voice, cultural understanding, and intercultural friendship.

Start a chapter

Complete an Eligibility Survey

If you believe that Global Minds is the right fit for your school or community, complete an eligibility survey. This survey is simple and should take only five minutes! It will ask for your name, ways/times to contact you, and information about your community. Teachers should complete the teacher survey, and students should complete the student survey.

After you complete the survey, we will reach out to schedule a short informational video call and share our New Chapter Application.

Apply Here

Sign our Partnership Agreement

If your New Chapter Application is accepted, we’ll reach out to share our Partnership Agreement. It must be completed by your Student Leader, Adult Ally, and school administrators.
Schedule an Onboarding Call

Schedule a virtual call with us that includes both your Student Leader and Adult Ally. We will share our virtual Global Minds toolkit that contains our curriculum, “how to” guides, and resources – and talk about how to launch your Chapter!
Plan Programming

Recruit student leaders and members and plan your first Global Minds meeting. Using your Global Minds toolkit will make planning programming for your Chapter fun and easy!
Connect with the Global Minds Community!

Connect with our social media accounts, create your Chapter’s own, and join us for cross-Chapter events and activities. Share your pictures, stories, and knowledge!

Our Model

Together, we can create more inclusive and welcoming schools.

Building Bridges Curriculum

Expertly curated activities focused on building cross-cultural relationships and developing space for youth to connect and embrace difference.

Youth Leadership Development

Training for youth facilitators (remove Adult Allies) to lead, engage, and provide meaningful opportunities for brave and courageous conversations.

Community Engagement

Tools for engaging community partners for service learning projects, site visits, and enrichment.

Global Minds Community

Online spaces and virtual opportunities to share your pictures, stories, and knowledge and connect with the larger Global Minds Community!

Our Story

The number of hate crimes rose alarmingly during and after the 2016 U.S. election. Then fifteen-year-old Peyton Klein, like many, wanted to take action.

After noticing the issues of cultural intolerance and exclusion of immigrants and refugees at her own high school, Klein decided to do whatever she could to combat these problems.

Through her prior involvement in peace education and leadership programs, and with the help of teachers and faculty at Taylor Allderdice High School, Klein created the Global Minds Initiative, now Global Minds.

What started as a simple after-school club, soon turned into a movement. After a viral article, students and teachers internationally started reaching out saying that the academic and social disconnect between Emerging Multilingual Learners (EML) and Native English Speaking (NES) students was not unique. In response, Klein launched the Global Minds chapter model.