RECAP: 2024 LEAD Series
Students at the LEAD Workshop on February 24th at Converge Miami
“I would definitely do something like this again even though it was out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot and would recommend everyone I know to do this. ”
Last month, 50 diverse high school students from across Miami-Dade and Broward Counties completed the LEAD Series (LEAD Workshop, LEAD Summit, and Global Impact Challenge). This is the first year that any high school student could sign up to participate in LEAD, as normally the program has only been offered offered to semi-finalists for our signature Global Youth Leadership Fellowship as part of the selection process.
Each student who completed LEAD in its entirety also receives a Certification in Experiential Leadership!
This year’s participants reported:
100% were more empowered/inspired to make a difference in the world
100% developed new connection with peers from different backgrounds
97% developed new leadership skills
92% became more confident in their identity and how they show up in the world
90% gained/refined skills to help them in the college admissions process
90% gained/refined skills to help them in acquiring scholarships for college
Throughout the LEAD Series, teams of students devised solutions to real-world problems related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals as part of the 4th Global Impact Challenge. The Challenge showcases their international impact partners while encouraging students to apply experiential learning skills to social responsibility & impact. After the five-day public voting period, the top 3 teams pitched to a panel of judges during the LEAD Summit on March 16th.
A big congratulations to all participating teams, especially the winner, Team 8: Philippines Premier Pioneers which partnered with Tiyaga Ay Pag-Asa Scholarship Fund (founded by Miles Mariano-Ortilla, 2019 Nyah Fellow) in the Philippines to split a $1,000 microgrant.
Students who participated in the LEAD Series were also eligible to apply for our 2024 Global Youth Leadership Fellowship, which consisted of an additional application with short essay questions and recommendation letters. The 2024 Nyah Project Fellows will be publicly announced during our Accelerate Access Awards Brunch Reception on May 18th where we celebrate 10 years of impact as an organization!
“The information I gleaned from the various masterclasses were golden nuggets of valuable insight.”
A special thank you to:
Our LEAD Workshop facilitators:
Catalina Peña, Founder & Lead Career Coach, Catalyst Creation
Aaron Bos-Lun, Deputy Executive Director, Men4Choice
Ryan Hall, Founder & Digital Marketer, Black Valley Digital,
Leigh-Ann Buchanan, Founder & Board Chair, Nyah Project
Our LEAD Summit Masterclass speakers:
Canaan Severin, Relationship Builder, Coinbase
Rashmi Airan, Keynote Speaker + Consultant
Othman Ouenes, CEO, Fidari Inc.
Yashua Klos, Artist
Our judges for the Global Impact Challenge Pitch:
Bernard Vieira, Senior Manager, Capital One
Claudia Akel, Co-Founder + Managing Director, SDG Investors,
Sofia Aranda, 2022 Nyah Fellow & Student, University of Chicago
Achieve Studio for filming and editing our Global Impact Challenge videos,
Dharma Creativ, our digital media partner,
Converge Miami for hosting the LEAD Workshop, and
Our amazing Fellows + Advisors for volunteering their time to make LEAD a success!
“I appreciate, deeply, the opportunity to connect with my peers through the LEAD Series. I made so many new friends and it’s an experience I will forever remember. Thank You.”
