On Tuesday, August 12th, the Global Youth Advancement Network, part of MSU's new Center for Global Learning and Innovation , helped celebrate International Youth Day by hosting a virtual Innovation Collaboratory – Youth and the Future of Global Learning.

International Youth Day is an annual holiday recognized by the United Nations that celebrates and empowers the leadership of youth around the world. This year’s theme focuses on how youth can contribute to inclusive, accessible, and innovative educational experiences across borders. This event was designed to encourage cross-cultural collaboration and to support young voices that are passionate about issues in their communities. GYAN was proud to welcome youth presenters from all around the world to come together and participate in this years Innovation Collaboratory.

The event opened with a video introducing this year’s youth group coordinators who shared what this years theme, youth and the future of global learning, meant to them. This year’s event also welcomed opening remarks from Amita Chudgar, Professor and Associate Dean of International Studies in Education, whose inspiring words set the tone for a dynamic multi-cultural collaboration session.

The virtual event hosted five panels each with a youth group coordinator, an MSU faculty member acting as an expert, and our youth presenters. Each panel gave the presenters an opportunity to share their story, research, or innovation and gather feedback from experts. Afterwards, discussions were led by youth coordinators to strengthen global connections and foster new ideas. To watch the presenters and learn more about their work, please visit GYAN's website.

After the panel sessions, participants were asked to join a Mindstorm Session. This session was an opportunity to create a deeper dialogue surrounding youth and the future of global learning. Participants discussed the largest barriers to global learning and the strongest opportunities for growth in the future. Many participants also shared personal anecdotes and stories which helped foster new insights and bring attention to issues they were passionate about.

Closing remarks came from Opal Leeman Bartzis Ed.D., the Assistant Dean for Global Learning and Innovation and Executive Director for Education Abroad, who highlighted the importance of supporting global youth leaders and thanked everyone for participating in the event. During the collaboration, youth presenters created strong global connections that will contribute to growing dialogue surrounding youth and global learning. GYAN is excited to host future events that will continue to build a network of passionate young leaders and support global youth. 

For more information about this event, please visit GYAN's Innovation Collaboratory webpage.