About
Who we are
We are registered student organization at Michigan State University that exists to partner with the greater nonprofit, Global Youth for Education and Change.
History
We started GYEC-MSU to connect students to the mission, vision, and partnerships of GYEC in the fall of 2015. GYEC is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2007 by an educator, a social worker, and a university student with the goal of uniting youth around the world.
“In order to do something big, to think globally and act globally, one starts with something small and one starts where it counts. Practice, then, is about making the ordinary special and the special more widely accessible - expanding the boundaries of understanding and possibility with vision and common sense. It is about building densely interconnected networks, crafting linkages between unlikely partners and organizations, and making plans without the usual preponderance of planning. It is about getting it right for now and at the same time being tactic and strategic about later. This is not about forecasting, nor about making decisions about the future. But it is about the long range, about making sure that one plus one equals two or three, about being politically connected and grounded, and about disturbing the order of things in the interest of change.”
Meet the Team
Projects
MacDonald Middle School
This team will work towards furthering the collaboration and GYEC's connection to the Mr. Voigt's class at MacDonald Middle School. Members will be working with the student activist group on projects aimed at topics of global awareness, youth activism, and service. The team will work on projects with the Mr. Voigt both inside and outside of the classroom. Projects will include the culmination of the VVOCF PenPal Program, mental health mural, potentially a collaborative fundraiser with the middle school, and any other class projects/activities that may fit with Mr. Voigt's existing curiculum.
Neighbors Building Brightmoor
This team will work on planning a Community Building Trip to Neighbors Building Brightmoor for the Spring semester of 2016. This team is especially beneficial to those who have an interest in sustainable agriculture and community gardening. The team will determine the dates, itinerary, any projects, logistics such as transportation, etc. The team will facilitate ways to build community and friendship throughout this day as well as think about methods of sustainability. The team will communicate with both Paul and the NBB volunteers to find/create projects to better benefit the NBB community.
Village Summit
This team will work with Village Summit, in Lansing MI. The program is aimed to create a sustainable volunteer structure for the kids of VS to have a safe, educational, and fun experience after school. The team will work alongside the program founders to improve, promote, and sustain the program. This team will also be serving as a part of the new after school program. The team can also plan fundraisers, promotional events, and other creative ideas based on interests and community need.
Vumundzuku-bya Vana/Our Children's Future
This team will work alongside the nonprofit VVOCF in Zonkizizwe, South Africa. VVOCF is a youth center for orphans and vulnerable youth in the area. This team will work towards implementing fundraisers for the center, fundraising, education opportunities, as well as futhering the connections with the nonprofit leaders and thinking from a global perspective.
Refugee Development Center
This team will be working towards spreading awareness, raising funds, and connecting students with the development center through volunteering and internships. The team will be learning about the mission and way the center works to educate other students. This team will also be collaborating with other student organizations to increase general awareness about the current refugee crisis and affairs.