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.
– Join our digital learning platform—click here to register.
– Attend conferences designed by youth for youth, including the Emerging Global Leaders Conference in the spring and the World Affairs Institute for Students Leaders in the fall.
– 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 for-youth, by-youth program created to combat the issues of cultural intolerance and discrimination through a youth-led, after-school program between Emerging Multilingual Learners (EML) and Native English Speaking (NES) students.

Through the Global Minds curriculum and community-building extracurricular 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.

Apply Here

Receive a Toolkit

If your chapter application has been accepted, you will be granted access to a chapter toolkit from Global Minds. It will include a copy of the curriculum, leadership guides, and other resources!
Recruit Chapter Leadership

The Global Minds toolkit will provide guidelines for leaders, including tips on recruitment and meeting facilitation.
Plan Programming

Using your Global Minds toolkit, which includes a multitude of fun, educational, and engaging activities, planning programming will be simple for your chapter.
Get to Know the Global Minds community!

Create an account on CanopyLAB. Share your pictures, stories, and knowledge with local and global Global Minds community.

Our Model

Together, we can create more inclusive and welcoming schools.

Building Bridges Curriculum

Expert 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 and adult allies to lead, engage, and provide meaningful opportunities for brave conversations.

Community Engagement

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

Digital Learning Platform

An online course to share your pictures, stories, and knowledge with local and global 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.