Summer 2009 marked the debut of Global Kids’ first Summer of Service, an innovative seven-week employment program for high school aged youth conducted in collaboration with the Summer Youth Employment Program and the Henry Street Settlement. Under the leadership of Tene Howard, Assistant Director of Programs, and Senior Trainers Marielle Amrhein, Eris Johnson-Smith, and Nassim Zerriffi, 21 New York City youth worked as Junior Trainers at the Global Kids headquarters office.

Over the summer they engaged in:
•    Interactive workshops to improve public speaking, communication, teamwork, professionalism and other skills critical to the modern workplace.
•    Training in research, peer education, workshop development and facilitation at sites across New York City.
•    Creation and implementation of service learning projects that addressed urgent community needs.
•    Practical job and career readiness training coupled with hands-on work experience.

At the start of the program, the Junior Trainers explored various local and global social justice issues affecting the quality of life in New York City communities, and identified four issues that would serve as their focus over the summer. These were food security, healthcare, education, and urban development/gentrification.  Each topic was taken on by a team of Junior Trainers who wrote, led and evaluated public surveys in various New York City neighborhoods to assess the impact of these issues on community residents. 

The Junior Trainers created educational workshops on these topics, which they conducted with other youth at the Cypress Hill Community Center. They also participated in direct service that included gardening, community mapping, and volunteering at local community based organizations including the NYC Food Pantry, East New York Farms, Added Value/Red Hook Community Farm, and the Brooklyn Rescue Mission.

A team of Junior Trainers also created a public service announcement to raise public awareness on the relationship between unequal access to healthy food and food-related health issues. Another team created a comprehensive curriculum covering the topics explored for use with other youth, educators and youth workers. It will be included as an addendum to Global Kids’ Teen ACTION service learning curriculum.


In addition, the Junior Trainers had two very unique opportunities for cross-cultural exchange.  On July 23rd a group of Iraqi high school-aged youth, who were visiting the United States as part of an exchange with Meridian International, came to Global Kids to meet with the Junior Trainers and explore issues of common concern and interest.  On the following day, the Junior Trainers met with a group of Ukrainian journalists invited to the United States by the U.S. State Department.  The journalists and Junior Trainers engaged in a workshop and discussion on the experience of youth in New York City and the importance of civic participation by young people.


To celebrate the tremendous accomplishments of the youth, Global Kids hosted a Culminating Ceremony attended by GK staff and board members, parents, school officials and NYC Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Jeanne Mullgrav. The Summer of Service was a success engaging youth in service learning activities that enhanced their learning, promoted civic responsibility, and prepared them to meet the challenges and opportunities in today’s workplace.