At the outset of the summer, as it became clear that the COVID-19 pandemic would mean that travel wasn’t going to be possible, we made the decision that we would not send our young people on our traditional summer experiences in 2020.

So, while the coronavirus may have changed our summer plans, it hasn’t stopped us from finding ways to provide our students opportunities for connection, reflection, and growth.

Thanks to the hard work and creativity of our incredible staff, dedicated volunteers, and summer partners, we are offering online/digital programming that connects students to internships, post-secondary exploration, cultural exchange, as well as workshops on financial well-being and more.

And summer is already underway!

In late June, our partners at Global Glimpse wrapped up their first Brave New Leaders Virtual Academy, where high school students from diverse communities across the U.S. came together to engage in live virtual programming that develops empathy, agency, and global perspective.

“The Brave New Leaders Academy opened my eyes like no other experience before,” explained Achankeng, a rising junior from Summer Search Philadelphia.

Students participated in 10 dynamic online sessions featuring wellness exercises, community building, critical thinking, leadership skills training, personal story sharing, and service-learning with Global Glimpse mentors and guest speakers from around the world.

Bay Area Summer Searcher Emmanuel shared how this unique experience supported the development of his own empathy and agency.

“This academy taught me to be more empathetic, learn how to work better with people, and speak up about topics I am passionate about. This is everything high school should be and more!“

Boston student Tai Le also experienced a great deal of personal growth and appreciation for how having a global perspective can bring people together.

“I learned so much from the BNL Academy from developing a growth mindset to making a sustainable service design. This academy showed me that things I usually do in life shouldn’t be taken for granted such as how language can break down the border between cultural differences and how thoughtful service can have such a lasting impact on people’s lives.“

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves! Thank you Global Glimpse for providing such an impactful digital experience, truly bringing that global perspective home to our students.

Stay tuned for more stories and perspectives from our reimagined Summer 2020!

BONUS – Watch this recap from the Brave New Leaders June Academy: