About Global Kids

STAFF

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Global Kids staff members are full-time, highly skilled educators with extensive experience in youth development and global education. All GK staff hold a bachelor’s degree at minimum, and most senior staff members have advanced degrees in such fields as international relations, education, social work, and public administration.

Global Kids staff speak over 20 languages collectively, including Spanish, Haitian Creole, French, KiSwahili, Hindi, Wolof, Urdu, Punjabi, Cantonese, and many have experience working or studying abroad. GK educators participate in on-going professional development and are involved in program design and decision-making. They serve as mentors who provide personal support to youth who often do not receive it at home or in the classroom. Scroll down to view staff bios!

Phebe was born in Ghana and immigrated to NYC as a teenager. She received her BA at City College, majoring in International Studies with a focus on Africa. She has interned and worked as a consultant at the Africa America Institute, and served as part of a delegation to Ghana to advocate for diasporan voting rights. Recently Phebe received her Masters in Social Work from Hunter College School of Social Work, with a final thesis on poverty alleviation through solar energy, basing it on worldwide case examples with implications for US practice. During her training as an MSW, she provided individual and group counseling to students in the South Bronx, as well as veterans transitioning from the warfront to academic life.

Carole is the Founder of Global Kids, Inc and served as the Executive Director for 21 years. Beginning September 1, 2010, Carole has assumed a new role on staff as Founder and President Emerita and remains a member of the Global Kids Board of Directors. A former teacher of social studies and history on both the high school and community college levels, she was coordinator of Women's Studies and the Graduate Program in Women's History at Sarah Lawrence College from 1979 until 1987. There she organized campus and community conferences and worked to promote the integration of women’s history into formal and public history programming. Her Master’s thesis, A New Force in Politics (1979) was later published as Votes and More for Women (1983), as were other articles relating the history of women activists. Carole created Global Kids while serving as Managing Director of the Foreign Policy Association. She served as the Executive Director of Global Kids since establishing it as a fully independent, nonprofit educational organization in 1991.

Carole was named a 2006 and 2007 Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures and is a recipient of the "Spirit of Anne Frank Award" bestowed by the Anne Frank Foundation. She received the Sarah Lawrence College Distinguished Alumna Award for Achievement and the College of Notre Dame's Service to Society Award, given to an alumna who applies "her education, initiative and humanity to socially useful ends in the community, nation, or world." She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Board of Directors of the Institute of Play. She holds a BA in History from the College of Notre Dame and an MA in Women's History from Sarah Lawrence College.

Since 2006, Joliz works has worked at Global Kids, most recently as a Program Associate. However, her time at GK began as early as 1999, when as a youth leader she traveled to Croatia to facilitate workshops on cultural diversity, co-produced GK's monthly radio program, served on the Global Kids Board of Directors, and participated in GK’s earliest digital media projects. Now, within GK’s renowned Online Leadership Program, she develops and facilitates digital media projects around New York City using geolocative and mobile gaming, digital badging systems, and digital storytelling.

Joliz comes to GK with a background in Africana & Puerto Rican/Latino Studies and Digital Media. On the side, she produces websites for celebrities, most notably for actress Rosario Dawson (http://rosario-dawson.net). Currently, Joliz uses her digital media expertise to advocate around issues of immigration, education and LGTBQ rights and is often the first person to see that viral video you are now passing along to your friends. Joliz is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational French.

Joseph is an East New York Brooklyn native, born to a Jamaican family, who currently resides in Staten Island. He earned his B.S. in Mathematics from the College of Staten Island (CUNY). While attending college, he worked for several mentoring programs including The Liberty Partnerships Program, The Black Male Initiative Program, and The Collegiate Science and Technology Program, all of which encourage high school students to further their education by attending college. He has traveled to Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Ivory Coast, Egypt, Amsterdam, and has also lived in Israel. In his free time, Joseph enjoys exercising, playing basketball, and listening to reggae music.

Claire holds a B.A. in American Cultural Studies from Bates College where she studied the arts of political resistance and education. Claire lived and worked in England and Ireland before moving to South America to teach English in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Lasso, Ecuador. She moved to New York to work in youth and community arts education at the Whitney Museum of American Art and facilitate intergenerational art projects at Foster Pride. While pursuing a MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing, Claire worked as a social justice educator at Make the Road New York. Before joining Global Kids, she was the lead organizer of a homeless rights campaign in downtown Brooklyn. Claire has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Southern Africa and South America.

Marcus is a student at the Borough Manhattan Community College (BMCC) majoring in Writing & Literature. A born and raised 'Brooklynite,' he was first introduced to Global Kids while attending Lafayette High School. After going through four years of GK training, Marcus feels prepared to be an active member of the world and has been teaching in many different capacities since. Prior to Global Kids, Marcus was a part of City Year Americorps' Saturday program Young Heroes which showed middle school students how to be active and productive members of their own communities & Asphalt Green's Recess Enhancement Program which gets elementary school students moving and active during recess to raise health awareness and prevent obesity. Marcus is very enthusiastic about getting the chance to work with Global Kids because of everything he learned as a GK participant.

Molly has a range of experience in the education and human rights fields. As a Trainer at GK from 2000-2002, she helped develop the Human Rights Activist Project (HRAP) and traveled with youth to Croatia. Before returning to Global Kids in 2007, Molly helped lead a youth leadership project with twenty schools and youth organizations, providing training, technical assistance and capacity building support. Some of her other experience in the education field includes leading programs in a start-up school for court-involved youth, performing professional development for teachers and youth workers, developing curriculum and organizing with youth and parents.

Currently, she helps support leadership programs and program staff, coordinates HRAP, performs professional development and helps to strengthen evaluation methods and systems for the organization. Molly completed the Middle Management program for Youth Development at Columbia’s Institute for Nonprofit Management and was recently a United Way Senior Fellow. Molly holds a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an MPA from the Baruch School of Public Affairs.

Usman holds a Bachelors degree in Network and Communications Management from the DeVry Institute of Technology. Usman has being in the Information Technology field since High School and has earned many certifications in computer networking field. Usman is fluent in Urdu and Punjabi.

Neha was born in India and lived in both Ethiopia and Alaska before moving to New York City as a teenager. She received a dual BA at City College in International Studies and History. While at CUNY, Neha organized activities with the Women’s Center at LaGuardia Community College and Student Liberation Action Movement (SLAM!) where she gained an appreciation for the principles of popular education and social justice. Prior to Global Kids, Neha worked with South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!) as a Program Facilitator and Site Director for the after-school program at Richmond Hill High School in Queens. In addition, during the academic year 2010-2011, Neha served as one of 17 Ambassadors, nationally, with the Alliance for Afterschool.

Neha is an ‘artivist’ and documentarian at heart. She believes that art and media can be powerful tools for social change, especially when working with youth. She enjoys documenting the South Asian diaspora and social movements in and around Queens. Neha has traveled to over 20 countries in 6 continents and speaks conversational Spanish, Hindi and Punjabi. She is passionate about supporting sustainable food-systems and food justice and loves dancing to house and hip-hop.

Evie joined Global Kids in 1996 as Director of Training and served as Deputy Director/Director of Programs for 12 years before her appointment as Executive Director in September 2010. Over the years, Evie has helped oversee the development, supervision, and expansion of GK's programs in New York City schools and has designed numerous special projects for youth and educators. She spearheaded the writing of Teen Action, a service learning curriculum grounded in GK methodology, for New York City's Department of Youth and Community Development, which is being used at over 50 sites by other community based organizations. Evie has also provided professional development training for youth workers and educators throughout the city and in other parts of the world, including Croatia and England. For over 12 years, Evie has worked with team of GK Leaders to develop and produce the annual Global Kids Youth Conference, which brings together over 600 youth and adults for a day of peer led workshops and social action. Evie has a BS in Journalism from Boston University and an MA in Educational Theater from New York University. Evie was a Rockefeller Foundation Next Generation Leadership Fellow and is a member at the Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to working at GK, she worked as Service Leader for ASPIRA of New York and a Master Actor/Teacher for the Creative Arts Team. In addition to her work at Global Kids, Evie is actively involved in community affairs and received the New York City Council's Pacesetter award for outstanding women. She speaks fluent Greek and is proficient in French.

Brian earned a BA in Government from Skidmore College and a M.Ed from Lesley University. Prior to joining Global Kids, he served as a founding member for Oasis AmeriCorps in Nashville, TN helping place AmeriCorps members in community centers. He completed a Teaching Fellowship with Citizen Schools in which he instructed 8th grade students, coordinated the Boston Public Library's citywide Homework Assistance Program, and earned a Masters Degree. Currently in his 3rd year at Global Kids, Brian serves as the Site Director at John Adams High School leading attendance improvement programming for 9th grade students. Brian has traveled extensively in the US, Canada, and Europe. Brian enjoys reading, cooking, and cheering on his beloved Uconn Huskies.

Libby received a BA in International Studies and Political Science from Muhlenberg College and is a MA candidate at the SIT Graduate Institute in Conflict Transformation with a focus on Youth Programming. During college, she volunteered and worked with various youth-serving organizations and schools to provide arts education and globally-focused enrichment. For three years, she attended the U.N. Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and worked with delegates to document the proceedings. Libby moved to New York City after college where she worked with high school youth to provide afterschool and summer programs for elementary students. Following her graduate coursework in conflict and social justice, she facilitated peacebuilding dialogues and activism workshops for youth participating in exchange programs from all over the world. Most recently, before joining Global Kids, she managed a teen center for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington, FBR Branch @ THEARC. She has traveled and studied throughout Europe, Eastern Africa and Southern Africa.

Tené holds a BA from Amherst College in Sociology and an MA in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University. Before coming to Global Kids, she was the Program Coordinator at the Harlem Children's Zone TRUCE program, managing arts education and media literacy projects for youth. She has also worked abroad, teaching a performing arts workshop with young women in the Dominican Republic and dance classes at a street children's center in Durban, South Africa.

Her experience abroad includes leading summer travel programs with youth in South Africa and extensive travel and study in France, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Cambodia and Japan. She is proficient in Spanish and French, and has studied Zulu and Xhosa.

Krista holds an MA from Arcadia University in International Peace and Conflict Resolution and a BA from the University of Kansas in Anthropology. Krista has worked in the past with PEACETALKS and Women's Campaign International, doing development and research work. She has also interned with Mercy Corps, helping with the opening of their new Action Center to End World Hunger, which is in Battery Park in NYC. Krista has lived, wandered, worked and traveled through parts of Asia, Europe, Central and North America and the South Pacific.

Kednel holds a B.A. in psychology and a Masters in Social Work from the University at Albany (SUNY Albany). Prior to working with Global Kids, he was a clinical social worker with the APLUS Program in Albany, NY. The Albany Partnership for Learning and Uniting Services (A-PLUS) is a federal Safe Schools-Healthy Students initiative. The program is designed to improve academic outcomes by expanding high-quality school and community-based services available to students and families so that students in Albany may learn, live and prosper in safe and supportive environments. As a clinical social worker, he provided individual, group, and family counseling to students in a middle school. He has traveled to different countries in Europe, Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean. He is fluent in Haitian-Creole and French.

Simone received her BA in Latin American Studies, concentrating on Economics, and Psychology from Wesleyan University. While at Wesleyan, she interned as a Teaching Assistant at an elementary school. She has moved throughout the United States, recently settling in New York City. Prior to working with Global Kids, Simone worked for a non-profit organization in Oakland, California, which focuses on diversifying the health professions through youth leadership development and psycho-social intervention. She is also passionate about immigrant rights, spending three years organizing to pass the Minnesota Dream Act. Simone is proficient in Spanish.

Eris earned his BA in Creative Writing and African American Studies from Hampshire College and his Master's degree in the John W. Draper program in Humanities and Social Thought at NYU. Eris has taught creative writing workshops for youth in Massachusetts, Chicago and San Francisco. He also worked in the San Francisco public schools to achieve equitable and challenging classrooms for African American and Latino students. Eris has travelled to the Caribbean, Mexico, England, France, Greece, and co-led a student trip to Costa Rica.

Angela joined Global Kids in the fall of 2012. She is originally from Detroit and started her career in social justice organizing there. When she moved to New York, she became involved with groups like the Palestine Education Project, the Audre Lorde Project, and the Osborne Association. She has been working with young people for over fifteen years, as a performance poetry coach in Detroit, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru, and as a visiting artist at Valhalla County Correctional Facility in Westchester. Before joining Global Kids, she worked with the NYCLU on a campaign to put an end to policies and practices which push students out of school and into the juvenile justice system. She is elated to be a part of the GK community.

Rita received her BA in Educational Studies and Political Science from Swarthmore College and her MA in Bilingual/Bicultural Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Prior to joining Global Kids, Rita taught in dual language classrooms in New York City. She also worked as a social justice educator in the South Bronx with the Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation and was a co-facilitator in the Summer Leadership Institute for Chinatown Youth Initiatives. Her interests include popular education and literacy, immigration and transnational education, educational organizing, as well as the intersections of mixed-heritage/multiracial identities and multilingualism. From 2008-2009, Rita lived in Valparaiso, Chile, where she taught English and conducted workshops in a community center. Rita speaks Spanish, has worked with educational/social movement organizations in Nicaragua and Ecuador, and has traveled throughout India, Ethiopia, and Central and South America.

Sophie Khan holds a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University, after which she began her work with youth. After teaching and running after school programs for a year in Virginia, she moved to New York and received her MSW from Columbia University School of Social Work in 2008. Since then, Sophie has been working with disadvantaged youth in a variety of settings. Prior to joining the Global Kids team, Sophie developed after school programming for middle school students in Manhattan, created employment and educational opportunities for out of school youth in the South Bronx, and provided individual and group counseling for youth on a variety of topics. Sophie has traveled all over participating in community service work and hopes to be able to continue this work with the students at Global Kids.

Since joining the Global Kids staff in 2002, Coco helped create and open Global Kids' High School for Global Citizenship (HSGC) in Prospect Heights Brooklyn, a small public high school. At HSGC, Coco helped carry out the mission of Global Kids, by designing and implementing school wide activities exploring global citizenship, training teachers in theme integration in the classroom, helping to design a bridge program for 9th graders to successfully adjust to life in high school, providing international travel opportunities for students, helping 10th grade students put on conferences on global issues of their choice and acting as a liaison between Global Kids and the Department of Education. In 2008, Coco won the PASEsetter award for her work with Global Kids in after-school education and in 2009 she was awarded the Revson Fellowship with Columbia University. Coco holds a BA from UCLA in History and African Studies and a Master's Degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She has traveled extensively in West Africa, Southern Africa, Cuba, and Mexico. In Oakland, California, Coco was the Director of follow up services for Global Education Partnership (GEP), an international nonprofit that worked in Indonesia, Guatemala, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Bay Area where she helped develop programming and train staff in Guatemala. In 2001, Courtney traveled to South Africa as a writer for the travel guide Let's Go and attended the United Nations' World Conference Against Racism where she met staff from Global Kids and followed them back to New York City. She is also a trained professional dancer and a principal dancer in the Brooklyn-based company, Ase Dance Theater Collective.

Grace holds a B.A. in Global International Studies and Asian Studies from Bard College. Prior to joining Global Kids, Grace served as the Program Officer of the Beautiful Foundation USA, a Korean-American led community foundation, managing grants and expanding their development efforts. Grace also worked at Development Consulting firm Banyan Global, where she coordinated efforts to obtain bids for USAID and World Bank projects. At the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center, Grace represented NYC street vendors in administrative courts and educating them about their legal rights and administrative and health laws. Born in Korea and raised in India, Grace speaks fluent Korean, English, Mandarin, Hindi and basic French. Grace is also an ordained minister and a licensed bartender.

Michael joined Global Kids in 2011 after serving for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Armenia, where his primary assignment was to teach English at a village school. During his first year of service, Michael organized Armenia's first cross-country marathon to raise awareness of children's health. Michael and his teammates walked over 360 miles and taught seminars about healthy lifestyles in villages and towns en route. He also worked with students and teachers to create a computer lab in his village school. Through trainings and workshops, the teachers of this village school learned skills to incorporate computer technologies into the classroom. Michael enjoys traveling and the outdoors. He has a passion for the arts and studied music for two years at The Juilliard School before transferring to Cornell University, where he received his B.A. in philosophy.

Alex comes to Global Kids directly from the Peace Corps, where he was a volunteer for 27 months in the Republic of Armenia. His focus was as a community health education extension and community/youth development volunteer. He was also the Chair of the HIV/AIDS National Initiative, where he helped coordinate seminars that taught local Armenians how to develop workshops on AIDS education, then go into their own communities and educate children, students, and adults. The program was in association with PEPFAR, and resulted in the training of over 2,500 Armenians on the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness.

Alex graduated in 2009 from the University of Central Florida with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, and is currently studying for his Masters degree in International Relations at City College of New York. He is fluent in Armenian, and has traveled, worked, and studied in over 10 countries in Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia.

Jack has been working with youth since his mom volunteered him to work at his local public library in Cornelia, Georgia at the age of thirteen. Since then, he's been developing programs for children and teens in libraries in Athens, Georgia; Providence, Rhode Island; and most recently at The New York Public Library, where he partnered with Global Kids to create NYC Haunts, a mobile, interactive alternate reality game designed by youth to teach youth about immigration, social issues and New York City history. Jack also has an extensive background in theatre, the arts, technology, science and dance. He received his BA from the University of Georgia and his Masters in Library and Information Science from Pratt Institute. Jack speaks conversational French and lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with his husband and two bad cats.

Angela rejoined Global Kids in 2012, having previously worked as a Trainer from 2005-2007. During her five years outside NYC, Angela attended graduate school at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and received an M.A. in Conflict Management & International Economics. Her research focused on the role of youth in conflict and post-conflict settings. Angela then spent a year in Kosovo with the United Nations Development Program, implementing projects to support the social inclusion of vulnerable groups. In June 2011, Angela moved to Khartoum, Sudan with her Irish husband and worked with CARE International on strategic planning, gender analysis and programming, and INGO coordination. Angela holds a B.A. from UCLA in International Development, has lived in more than 7 countries and speaks Swiss-German, Bosnian, French and basic Spanish.

Devon graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a Bachelors degree in Political Science with a focus on International issues. During his undergrad years, he participated in many student organizations, eventually becoming President of four of them. Devon joined Global Kids in the summer of 2010. Since then he has worked at schools in 4 of the 5 boroughs leading a wide range of programming including assisting Middle School students with the High School application process, high school students with College applications, a Medical internship program, a digital environmental sustainability program and a summer work program for New York City youth.

Devon is a proud member of MALIK Fraternity Incorporated, Global Kids Alumni and former Board Member. He has a passion for music, technology, digital rights issues, domestic policy and foreign affairs.

Lizzie graduated magna cum laude from Boston University with degrees in International Relations and Philosophy and is currently pursuing her MPA in Nonprofit Management at NYU Wagner School of Public Service. While at BU, Lizzie participated in an intensive abroad program studying indigenous communities in the Navajo Nation (USA), India, New Zealand and Mexico. She has traveled extensively throughout China and spent a year teaching English in Ecuador. Prior to joining Global Kids, Lizzie participated in the Public Allies Americorps Program, completing her apprenticeship at Bridgeport Neighborhood Trust in Connecticut. She also worked as a Development and Communications Associate at the Women’s Housing and Economic Development Corporation (WHEDco) in the South Bronx. In her free time, Lizzie enjoys running and exploring her neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Kevin holds a BA in Political Science and Economics from Middlebury College and an MA in International Affairs from the School of International Service at American University. He is currently the Project Director of the Global Kids U.S. in the World International Law and Foreign Policy summer program at the Council on Foreign Relations. Kevin also planned and led the Human Rights Activist Project (HRAP) International trip to Kenya for five Global Kids students in the summer of 2009. While in graduate school, Kevin interned at the International Crisis Group in Washington, DC. At Crisis Group, he was involved in the initiation of a grassroots campaign that advocated for state pension fund and university divestment from companies conducting business in Sudan. The campaign was part of a larger effort to increase awareness of and influence policy towards addressing the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. He also played a key role as a member of the research team that worked on the book Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond by John Prendergast and Don Cheadle. Kevin is a Kenyan national, speaks fluent Kiswahili, and has traveled to Uganda, Germany, the Netherlands, Mexico and Canada.

As a Global Kids student, Ranti took part in the UN World Youth Forum in Austria and made three trips to Croatia, where he led workshops for war affected youth and refugees. He was also a participant in the Caring Communities Project and the video project Urban Voices. He was the 1998 recipient of the Catalog for Giving Urban Heroes Award for community leadership. Ranti received his BA in Political Science from Ramapo College, where he also worked with Upward Bound as a dropout prevention group advisor and served as president of Brothers Making a Difference. In 2003, Ranti joined GK’s team of educators to lead our programs at Canarsie High School in Brooklyn. In 2006, he was recruited to lead the Staten Island branch of the New York Urban League, with a focus on youth development programs. In 2010, Ranti joined the faculty of the College of Staten Island and currently teaches a freshman seminar on issues in college life. Born in Staten Island to a family from Nigeria, Ranti enjoys traveling and organizing service opportunities for NFL players through the CARE Africa program.

Justine is a Bay Area native and received her B.A. in Sociology with a Community Change emphasis from San Jose State University. She also minored in Asian-American Studies. During her college years, she was involved in a number of endeavors, including running an after-school tutoring program for at-risk youth, creating and facilitating workshops throughout the South Bay for Filipino-American youth and young adults, and creating service opportunities for San Jose State student based organizations. She relocated to New York in 2009 for her Masters, and attained her M.A. in Educational Leadership, Politics, and Advocacy from New York University in May of 2011. While at NYU, she interned with Global Kids where she focused on college preparation and career readiness as well as service learning. Additionally, she co-facilitated an Intergroup Dialogue based on race with NYU undergraduates, worked in a early childhood literacy development program with NYU Jumpstart, and served as a Graduate Researcher at NYU's Hip-Hop Education Center, where she is still involved in the Women and Gender Studies Initiative. Justine is Filipina-American and speaks conversational Visayan.

Sofia holds a BFA in Drama from New York University and an MPA in public administration from Baruch College. She is responsible for managing the program evaluation activities of Global Kids, and provides support to grant development efforts. Prior to joining Global Kids, Sofia worked worked for various non-profit organizations including the NYU School of Medicine, Puerto Rican Family Institute, and the Montefiore Child Advocacy Center as a fundraiser, administrator, evaluator, and program developer. In her previous positions, she secured major funding from public and private sources for the expansion of program services as well as the development of new initiatives in the areas of youth development, family support, health and social services. Sofia is fluent in Spanish and has traveled to the Caribbean.

Mary is an alumna of Global Kids. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of Maryland and has ten years experience working for nonprofit organizations. Mary sits on the Board of the Young Leaders Advisory Council of Global Kids. As Alumni Coordinator, Mary coordinates all GK's alumni initiatives and activities. In addition to her work with Global Kids, Mary is currently pursuing her degree in nursing and hopes to one day work in the field of nursing infomatics.

Haisu, a GK Alumna, holds a BA with Honors in Sociology and dual minors in Business and Asian Studies from SUNY Geneseo. While at school, she was a resident assistant, tutor, and the vice president for Amnesty International. She has participated in a study abroad program and taught English to primary students in Hong Kong. She has also interned for Global Student Embassy in Tanzania, helping secondary students on their entrepreneurial projects and assisting with the launch of the Morogoro Youth Training Center which provides internet access and computer training to the community. Haisu has wandered and backpacked around Kenya, China, Southeast Asia, and Puerto Rico. Haisu speaks Wenzhounese and Mandarin.

Carlos holds a BA in Sociology and Education from Northeastern University in Boston. Prior to working at Global Kids, he worked at Norman Thomas High School for two years in an attendance improvement dropout prevention program. Carlos is a member of the Venceremos Brigade, a group of Americans that travels to Cuba each year, and has been to Cuba four times. He has also traveled to Brazil, Venezuela, Mexico, France, St. Croix and Puerto Rico. In his spare time, Carlos enjoys playing sports, listening to music, cooking, reading and doing crossword puzzles.

Gabriel was born in the Bronx and raised in East Harlem. He is a management accountant with a cross-functional background in operational strategies and information technology. His blend of experience includes working with a child welfare agency, a cancer research foundation, a large university and working with individuals with developmental disabilities. He holds a BS in Accounting from the SUNY Institute of Technology and a MS in Information Systems (MSIS) from Touro College. Gabriel has played an integral role in various technology projects including software conversions and infrastructure upgrades that optimized systems and improved efficiencies. He exercises regularly and enjoys organized sports such as softball and touch football. He likes to travel in order to meet new people, learn about their cultures and sample their cuisine. Gabriel is fluent in Spanish and understands conversational Italian.

Demelvy was born and raised in New York City. A Global Kids Alumni, she received her BA at Adelphi University, where she studied management with a specialization in marketing. She interned and worked as Assistant Account Executive at Geoffrey Weill Associates, a luxury travel public relations firm. She hopes to pursue a masters in corporate communications. She is fluent in Spanish.

Esther was born and raised in New York City. She attended SUNY Binghamton University as an Educational Opportunity Program student and received dual degrees in History and Human Development. Following her graduation from Binghamton, Esther pursued her Masters in Social Work at CUNY Hunter College. She has extensive experience teaching and counseling youth in New York City public schools, nonprofits and community-based organizations.

Esther also has a passion for traveling. She has studied abroad and lived in Spain and traveled throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Tunisia, and Costa Rica. Her mission is to go to at least one country in each continent. She enjoys being part of the Sisterhood Book Club, volunteering, and taking advantage of sweet deals on Groupon and Living Social!

Juan holds an MA in Media Studies from The New School University. He has experience working with at-risk youth in games-based learning instruction and has expertise in the fields of video, film, and virtual worlds. During his time at Global Kids, Juan has led games-based learning projects such as NYC Haunts, a partnership with the New York Public Library in which middle school students design a geo-locative game to explore the local history of their community and larger social issues such as climate change. He has also led the Create to Learn program in which middle school girls design a math-based computer game. He is interested in the use of media as a social marketing tool and in the development of virtual worlds as learning environments. He studied Radio, TV and Film at the School of Communications of Howard University in Washington, D.C. He has participated in several conferences on virtual worlds, the latest as a presenter at the Second Life Community Convention in Boston in August 2010. In 2007, he produced the conference "Adolescence in Latin American Film" at the Art Department of Universidad Pedagogica in Honduras. His work has been shown at Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Paper Tiger Television, and at Queens Museum. Originally from Honduras, Juan is also fluent in Spanish.

Emma is a recent Global College graduate and a Seattle native, with a BA in Global Studies. Throughout her undergraduate career, Emma lived and studied abroad in countries such as Costa Rica, China, and Ecuador where she used social theatre techniques as a lens for cultural analysis. Her work focused mainly on cross-cultural leadership, community empowerment, and gender studies especially among youth. Before coming to Global Kids, Emma worked with the Sadie Nash Leadership Program as a youth mentor and dean for young women. She is excited to join the dynamic and passionate staff of Global Kids and hopes to add to their positive energy. Outside work, Emma loves to dance, laugh, and inspire others to do the same.

Hailing from Brooklyn, Phara is a GK Alumna. She holds a BA in International Relations from SUNY Geneseo. Prior to Global Kids, Phara worked with RYSAG, a Saturday enrichment program, tutoring at risk teens in Rochester. Phara is the founder of Geneseo Unites for Haiti which formed a coalition of student groups, local and national groups to build homes for earthquake victims. Phara has spent 3 years on SUNY Geneseo’s Women’s Leadership Institute development team creating service learning opportunities, leadership training and personal growth workshops. She cares deeply about women’s health and environment issues and hopes to pursue a masters in Public Health. She speaks fluent Haitian Creole and very grammatically correct French.

Juliette holds a BA in English Literature from Amherst College. Prior to joining Global Kids, she worked at New Leaders for New Schools, an organization focused on training and supporting principals for high-need urban schools. As Director of Development there, she managed a portfolio of private foundation partnerships and led the organization’s national public funding strategy. Juliette has a background in writing and editing, and before moving to the nonprofit sector, she worked as an editor in consulting and publishing companies. She has traveled throughout Europe and Southeast Asia and speaks Korean.

Prior to joining Global Kids, Catalina worked for the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education: International and Foreign Language division. Her portfolio there included National Resource Centers (NRC) and Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) programs in Latin America and Canada. She also worked with Constrat Inc. for the Inter-American Development Bank, where she spearheaded the content design and implementation of digital education resources for Afro-Descendant and Indigenous students in the Americas. Previously, she conducted evaluations of Salvadoran and Kenyan violence prevention programs while working for International Center for Alcohol Policies. Her other clients/collaborators include Peace First (Harvard) and Bogotá Classrooms of Peace/Aulas de Paz (Universidad de los Andes).

Catalina graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. Her M.A. is from George Washington University in Human and Organizational Development. Her graduate honors include the Angeline Anderson Fellowship and a 2009-2010 Fulbright in international civic education development and evaluation.

David supports Global Kids as the Associate Director of Programs and assists in numerous ways. He coordinates and supervises teams of Global Kids (GK) staff members at various schools throughout New York City and helps with the facilitation of special professional development trainings. The programs at schools, supported by the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), specialize in preparing students for their transition to adulthood and equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed as global citizens after high school. Since working at GK, David has created and facilitated numerous workshops and professional development trainings for students and teachers that have addressed issues such as human rights, the concept of global citizenry, sustainability, child soldiers, youth empowerment, discrimination, human trafficking, and foreign policies. Through collaborations with other partners such as Peace Boat and the Organization of American States (OAS), David has traveled and coordinated international trips with students to countries such as Peru, Jamaica, Panama, Costa Rica, London, Norway and Ireland. Prior to working at Global Kids, David worked as the Project Coordinator at the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, engaging young people after school through an Arts & Literacy Program. David comes to GK with an education from New York University, where he earned his BA in the Education of Mathematics and Cultural Anthropology. He is fluent in Spanish.

A Brooklyn native, Sara completed her BA in Urban Studies at Columbia University while working on the side as a reporter for city and campus news outlets. Prior to joining Global Kids’ Online Leadership Program, she taught Spanish, technology, and literacy at a public middle school in East Harlem as a Teach for America corps member. Her passion for the Spanish language took her most recently to Mexico, where she worked as a Princeton in Latin America Fellow with an education reform program, and to Argentina, where she taught English on a Fulbright grant. She holds a Master's degree in bilingual education from CUNY - Hunter College. In her free time, she likes to practice guitar and make radio stories.

Ned studied foreign languages, history, and religion at Oberlin College, receiving his B.A. in Hispanic Studies in 2003. After a tenure with the federal government doing geospatial and imagery intelligence analysis, Ned relocated to New York and joined Global Kids in 2008. He speaks conversational Spanish, has studied abroad in Spain and Guatemala, and has traveled throughout Europe and Central America. A poet at heart, he enjoys playing the guitar, practicing yoga, traveling, learning about science and history, and making art.

Nassim received a BA/BFA in sociology and jazz performance from the New School University and a Masters in International Educational Development at Columbia Teachers College. As an undergraduate, he participated in a School for International Training development studies program in Uganda, where he worked with homeless youth. As a percussion teacher and mentor, Nassim worked with Brotherhood/Sister Sol and a music mentorship program run through the Police Athletic League using music to develop positive social skills with young people. He has traveled and volunteered in several African and Latin American countries. Most recently he worked with a rural woman's association in Senegal teaching about HIV/AIDS in a program funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. Nassim is proficient in French, Spanish, Wolof, has studied Luganda and Arabic, and plays several instruments including various percussion, guitar and bass.