International Youth Commit to Action in Minneapolis

For the last several weeks, youth from around the world have been furiously typing away at their keyboards, brainstorming ways to improve their communities, swapping ideas, and preparing to meet each other in Minneapolis to bring these ideas to life. The National Youth Leadership Council has partnered with Qatar Foundation International (QFI) to offer YALLAH: Commit to Action — an extensive eight-day training for 38 youth and their mentors from Qatar, Brazil, and various cities in the U.S. This training will intersect with the 23rd Annual National Service-Learning Conference® and youthrive PeaceJam Leadership Conference, which will take place next week in Minneapolis, Minn.

Selected from a pool of over 60 applicants, this group of young people represents alumni of QFI programs that focus on themes including technology, cross-cultural exploration, community engagement, and partnership. These youth have been collaborating through YALLAH, a student-focused online forum, to create proposals for service-learning projects which they will refine as they participate in the Commit to Action training.

“QFI was very impressed with the service projects proposed by our alumni,” Maggie Mitchell Salem, Executive Director of Qatar Foundation International, said in a press release earlier this month. “We are very excited to support our students as they begin to implement their service project ideas.”

Other youth-led project ideas include bringing minority business owners in Chicago together to mentor burgeoning entrepreneurs, educating youth on the scarcity of the global water supply, and creating diverse community libraries. 

While the much of their time in Minnesota will be dedicated to refining their service-learning projects, QFI youth will also be taking full advantage of the myriad workshops, thought leader sessions, and world-renowned speakers that will be featured at the conference. After conference hours, the youth will get to explore the city via Segway, watch a Twins game at Target Stadium, and will wrap up their stay with a dinner and graduation ceremony at the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in Saint Paul.