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In 1989, Keith M. Brown and Michael Webb talked over dinner about their experiences living and working in Africa. Keith Brown was a former Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa. Michael Webb had worked in the Kano State (Nigeria) Advanced Teachers College and The American University in Cairo (Egypt). Why, they both wondered, were there so few African American and Latino living and working in Africa? They both reasoned that access to international careers was often a result of socioeconomic position and privilege. What would happen, they wondered, if a new career path were opened to African American and Latino high school students, a path that led through high school to colleges and universities to international internships and fellowships to international careers? Even if students did not decide to pursue international careers they would be much better citizens if they understood how connected they are to all the world’s people. Thus, the International Youth Leadership Institute was born.
IYLI began as a program of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Initially, IYLI sponsored two programs, the Seminars Program and Summer Fellowship Program (SFP). IYLI recruited citywide for the Seminars Program and established a partnership with Central Park East Secondary Student. IYLI established a formal process for membership and students who joined the program became IYLI “Fellows.” More than half of the first cohort of IYLI Fellows was enrolled at Central Park. The first SFP took place in 1990 in Egypt. In 1991, IYLI initiated the Winter Institute. The 8-day program enabled students to explore Latin American history, culture, geography and environment.
In 1995, Jason Warwin, an alumnus of IYLI, with a $15,000 grant from Echoing Green Foundation, developed and implemented IYLI’s third program, the Community Service & Development Program (CSDP). CSDP provides opportunities for students to be involved in structured community service projects of their own design and quickly became a requirement for all students participating as IYLI Fellows.
IYLI began to explore ways to extend the benefits of the program to reach more students. A major milestone occurred in 1999 when the organization gained nonprofit status. One year later, IYLI began the School Partnership Program and formed a collaboration with the Thurgood Marshall Academy for Social Change in Harlem to engage 7th and 8th grade students in community leadership and public service projects. Other school partnerships were later formed with Active Learning Prep School, Bronx Studio School for Writers and Artists and Channel View School for Research. Many participants in IYLI’s School Partnership Program later became IYLI Fellows.
Since its beginning, IYLI has relied on volunteers to staff its programs. However, in 2002 IYLI reached another milestone in its history. Enrique Figueroa, an IYLI alumnus, was hired as Executive Director and became the first salaried staff member.
Over the years, more than 800 students have participated in IYLI’s Saturday seminars, school partnerships and overseas study programs. The overseas study programs have taken place in Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Gambia, Ghana, Israel, Mexico, Morocco, Senegal, South Africa, Spain and St. Eustatius.
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An IYLI Fellow Perspective:
"Historical factors contribute to poverty. Take for example, the majority of people of South Africa. Up until 1994 South Africans were seen and treated as less than human. They had absolutely no rights whatsoever. After the end of nearly 2 centuries of oppression, it is ridiculous to think they could legitimately compete economically and socially after starting at a drastically lower economic and social status and entering into the most competitive economic system used by man. Poverty is not the issue, it is the result. To place a historically disadvantaged people in the middle of a competitive economy, with less than average resources is equivalent to placing a severely learning disabled special child in an advanced placement course."
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