The Global Neighborhood Initiative

Vital Stats

Michelle A

Miami, FL

  • people helped150
  • People Doing It 10

The Problem

The Global Neighborhood Initiative was started by a group of students that attended the Salzburg Global Seminar. This week long seminar focused on globalization. In only a week, each and every one of us was changed. For that reason, we were motivated to change the lives of high school students similar to the way we were changed. Firstly, in order to successfully grow we need to set a foundation. Since our project was recently started, we lacked the necessary funds to fulfill all our goals. Our main goal for this initiative is to create a nonprofit organization that allows college students to provide educational and inspirational support to high school freshmen. We do this by assisting them in achieving success through peer mentoring. There are three main components to serve as a guide for mentors and mentees: educational empowerment, social responsibility, and sustainable education. The first component is educational empowerment, which will be completed through tutoring, mentoring, and seminars about education and global citizenship. Our second component is social responsibility; mentees and mentors will work together to identify and address community needs. Our final component is sustainable education. Mentors will work with their mentees to create “green” recreation areas around Miami Dade County, putting in place local plants, solar panels, among other projects. As soon as we have established a name for ourselves, we feel that it is important to make sure our students teach others what they learn. The participants, or mentees, are expected to attend tutoring sessions, seminars, and volunteer opportunities facilitated by The Global Neighborhood Initiative with the mentors. The participants are also expected to present what they have learned at a symposium, and pass on information and wisdom to the next group of freshmen. As founders of the initiative, we hope that students from our college continue this nonprofit organization. We are students just like the ones that we want to help. All of us posses a passion to give back to our community, and see the effects of our service. We need your help. As mentioned previously, we are all very passionate about our initiative. Individually, we each posses a strong character that enables us to work as a team and hopefully achieve our goal. We need your help and hope that you see that passion that runs through our veins to help our community.

Plan of Action

The Global Neighborhood Initiative's Board of Directors is working extensively to ensure that a strong foundation is set before the Initiative kicks into effect the first week of September. As of right now, we are meeting weekly, and communicating via email daily, discussing funding opportunities, seeking community partners, and working extensively to become a non-for-profit organization. The Global Neighborhood Initiative's first objective was to write a proposal and submit it to the Dean of the Honors College at Miami Dade College, an objective that has already been accomplished. We hope to receive her support and thus obtain the endorsement of Miami Dade College for new funding possibilities. The next step in the action plan is to contact Miami-Dade County Public Schools, as well Miami-Dade County officials, to receive their support for the Initiative. After, we will begin an extensive recruitment campaign within the Honors College to obtain support from students and have them sign up to become official Mentors with Th Global Neighborhood Initiative. The next step is to arrange a visit to a local park to cleanup the area on August 21st. This activity will help facilitate communication between mentors and the Board of Directors. Communication is a key component for our initiative moving forward. Once that is scheduled we will also schedule an orientation for the mentors - explaining their expected commitment and dedication to the Initiative. The final step in our action plan is to visit each participating public school in mid-August to arrange the intended goals, intentions, and plans the G.N.I has in mind with every schools Principal and administrative staff.
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