The Linguist

APRIL/MAY The Linguist 7 @Linguist_CIOL FEATURES The big idea Q Describe Global Minds in a nutshell… A It's a for-youth, by-youth organisation combatting cultural intolerance and discrimination by linking native English speaking students and English as a Second Language (ESL) students through after-school programmes across North America. Q You were just 15 when you launched it. How did you come up with the idea? A I believed in values of diversity, inclusion and welcoming but I realised I wasn't living by them. I knew everyone's name in my class except for one girl who was taking ESL classes. Eventually she shared her story of refuge with me and the cultural challenges she faced in school. As I met her friends from the ESL class, I realised that her experience was not unique, and neither was mine. Because she didn't have parents with language access she faced barriers. I was able to support her and in return she shared her rich cultural experience. I found out there are 4.9 million English language learners in the US – about 10% of every student body. I dreamed up Global Minds and we started with 10 students in 2016. By the end of the month we had 100. Q How did you expand the programme? A Somehow the Associated Press covered us. Teachers and students from across the world started reaching out, saying that the social and academic disconnect between native English speakers and English language learners was international. We worked with a specialist in peace education to write a curriculum and put together a toolbox. We had 13 schools in our second year and now we're up to 25. They receive a toolkit with T-shirts, branding materials and all the tools they need, and support from our adult ally, youth fellows and a programme director. Q What's your educational background? A I'm currently studying Hebrew, Arabic and Geopolitical Conflict in Israel; next year I will attend Stanford with a Public Policy major. Q Do you work with staff or volunteers? A Global Minds has always been a team effort. If I can't do something I'll find someone who can. We've done that with our website and graphic design. When we were filing for non-profit status, I started thinking about a Board of Directors, relying heavily on the mentorship of Betty Cruz, CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh (WACP). We have accountancy professionals on our board and people who can help find legal experts. We have one full-time staff member, who is an adult ally, and six youth fellows, who are students working in part-time operational Peyton Klein on establishing a youth-led organisation to counter discrimination through language partnerships roles, whether in communications, research, social media or conference organisation. Q Since 1 January you've been operating under WACP. What does this mean? A We are one of their prioritised educational programmes. Previously all our funding came through foundations and individual donors, so we now have increased capacity. I joined their Board of Directors as an Executive Committee member, working on strategy. Q What changes have you made so far? A We realised that we needed students, teachers and administrators on board, so we modified our application process, and we've redesigned the curriculum twice. We're transitioning our online hub to a new platform; expanding our Youth Fellowship programme; and creating a sustainable model for youth voice. Beyond that we're trying to keep our students engaged through the pandemic. globalminds.world

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