United Nations Association of the United States of America
New York, NY USA
“When the opportunity came to help young people see their own potential and see themselves as problem-solvers, it was an opportunity that I couldn’t turn down.”
UNA-USA Youth Observer to the United Nations
I engage young people with the work of the United Nations.
My work is about providing a window into the UN, amplifying youth leadership, and activating young people. Sometimes I'll spend mornings writing a blog post about my experience at a UN meeting I attended in the past week. Then I'll move onto two or three workshops with middle schoolers and high schoolers, helping them understand sustainable development goals. Then I'll move onto editing a podcast I did with a young person who is telling her story about making a change in the climate movement.
Here's the first step for high school students
Find out what's happening in your community and get involved. If there isn't an organization in your community, find one that's happening in a different context and try to reframe it in your own context. Reach out to your teachers and community members and find coalitions of social change. These actions are fundamental to really seeing yourself as a problem solver and they'll greatly help you along your change-making journey.
"Young people can't contribute meaningfully to an organization. "
