A Look Into The 2019 Junior Greenheart Global Leaders Conference
It’s hard to believe that the first Odyssey program of 2019 is already over! To celebrate, we’d like to take this moment to share some successes from the Jr. Greenheart Global Leaders Conference.
As a quick refresher, the Odyssey is the award-winning scholarship program of Greenheart that serves 130 local Chicago and international youth through a series of 5 consecutive programs dedicated to the pursuit of service and global leadership. The core programs include Camp Greenheart, Jr. GGLC, Quest, GGLC, and the Alumni Council.
So how did our first Odyssey program of the year turnout?
Let’s hear what the Jr. GGLC scholars had to say:
“Jr. GGLC was an incredible experience. I cannot stress enough on how much it has affected and changed me for the greater good… It was really the highlight of my exchange year because I learnt so much about what I can do for the earth. Overall, it goes without saying that I can’t wait to take advantage of the rest of the amazing opportunities that Greenheart has to offer.”
“I now have an exponentially heightened confidence in my abilities to make change. I took away from this conference many skills that I believe will allow me to start enacting change in my community right now… I always cared about social and environmental issues but this conference forced me to change my mindset from a bystander who cared without acting, to an activist who not only has an ability, but an obligation to make change.”
Conference activities included:
- Know Your Values workshop with the Sierra Club
- Volunteering at The Plant
- Improv and Public Speaking workshops
- Sustainable cooking lesson with Baguette & Butter
- Attending the Greenheart Gala and All-Staff meeting (which many stated was the highlight of their week!)
These programs are changing scholars’ lives:
- 96% feel very comfortable advocating for the environment- a 20% increase from before attending the conference!
- 100% say they now feel confident speaking about the importance of cultural exchange- a 12% increase from before attending Jr. GGLC.
- Just days after the conference ended, 3 scholars had already scheduled meetings with their principals to speak about their school’s sustainability practices. 1 scholar is starting a political polarization club to bridge the gap between students of different political beliefs.
- 100% of our Jr. GGLC scholars say they plan on participating in another Odyssey program, so this won’t be the last we see of Ian, Paula, Elena, Marius, Manyi, Winnie, Lindsey, Rin, and Krittika.
From left to right: Ian Taraszewski (USA), Lindsey Feeley (USA), Elena Vuzka (Ukraine), Krittika Ghosh (India), Paula Lorente Gómez (Spain), Manyi Chum (Cambodia), Winnie Chuang (Taiwan), Rin Nishikawa (Japan) and Marius Ignat (Romania).
How can YOU experience more of Jr. GGLC?
- Check out our video series (part 1 and part 2) of our Greenheart High School Programs alumna, Paula and Greenheart Traveler, Ian, as they interview each other about what it’s like to be an exchange student!
- Visit our Jr. GGLC Facebook album to see all the best shots.
A huge thank you to our incredible donors for making this conference possible by supporting our Greenheart Odyssey Programs and inspiring the next generation of young leaders:
“I now have an exponentially heightened confidence in my abilities to make change. I took away many skills that I believe will allow me to start enacting change in my community, these skills give me hope that one day I can make an impact on the world on a larger scale. I always cared about social and environmental issues but this conference forced me to alter my mindset from a bystander who cared without acting, to an activist who not only has an ability, but an obligation to make change.”
Want to support our mission? Consider donating to the upcoming year of The Odyssey by visiting our website.