Marielle received her BA in Dance and Philosophy from Mount Holyoke College and is currently an MA candidate in International Educational Development at Teachers College, Columbia University where she is writing her thesis on youth leadership, activism and the arts. Prior to coming to Global Kids, Marielle was the Program Manager for CounterPULSE, an arts and social action nonprofit in San Francisco. She has also taught dance in the public schools, and completed trainings in counseling, massage therapy, women’s nutrition, and Theater of the Oppressed techniques. As a volunteer, Marielle works with the Peace Education Center and the Global Campaign for Peace Education and teaches hip-hop dance at Groove With Me in NYC. Her experience abroad includes facilitating human rights and performing arts workshops in India, teaching English in the Dominican Republic and Japan, as well as travel and study in Morocco, Israel and Palestine, Mexico, Argentina, Guatemala, Western Europe, and the Caribbean. Marielle speaks conversational Japanese and Spanish and has studied Hindi and Tamil.

Karl, a native of Australia, received his BS in Psychology from Curtin University of Technology. Before working at Global Kids, Karl spent a number of years working in the Career Awareness Program at the Fresh Air Fund. Karl has traveled all over the United States, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and New Zealand. He has studied bahasa Indonesia and Indonesian culture. Karl is a keen swimmer and qualified swimming instructor.

Carole is the Founder of Global Kids, Inc. A former teacher of social studies and history on both the high school and community college levels, she was coordinator of Women's Studies and the Graduate Program in Women's History at Sarah Lawrence College from 1979 until 1987. There she organized campus and community conferences and worked to promote the integration of women’s history into formal and public history programming.  Her Master’s thesis, A New Force in Politics (1979) was later published as Votes and More for Women (1983), as were other articles relating the history of women activists.  Carole created Global Kids while serving as Managing Director of the Foreign Policy Association. She has been Executive Director of Global Kids since establishing it as a fully independent, nonprofit organization in 1993. Carole was named a 2006 and 2007 Purpose Prize Fellow by Civic Ventures and is a recipient of the "Spirit of Anne Frank Award" bestowed by the Anne Frank Foundation.  She recently received the Sarah Lawrence College Distinguished Alumna Award for Achievement and the College of Notre Dame's Service to Society Award, given to an alumna who applies "her education, initiative and humanity to socially useful ends in the community, nation, or world." She is a member of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars, Human Rights Watch Advisory Council on Africa, and the Council on Foreign Relations. She holds a BA in History from the College of Notre Dame and an MA in Women's History from Sarah Lawrence College.

Joyce received her BFA in Visual Design / Illustration from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth; additionally she holds a minor in Art History. Her prior professional experience includes working for four years as a Media Technical Specialist at Bristol Community College in Fall River, MA, and over a decade of being a visual artist and designer who has been involved in everything from corporate branding campaigns to collaborative street art performances. Joyce is an evangelist of online social media and believes in its power to foster community and collaboration through internet mediums such as blogging, podcasting, video/machinima and virtual worlds. In her free time, she also enjoys traveling, writing poetry, gardening and teaching art.

With a background in Africana & Puerto Rican/Latino Studies and Digital Media at Hunter College, Joliz is a Global Kids alum who has been involved in several projects including traveling to Croatia and Bosnia to facilitate workshops on cultural diversity and human rights for youth, running small group discussions online concerning global issues, co-produce and co-host GK's monthly radio program Youth Pulse, as well as serve on the Global Kids Board of Directors. In the past she has been involved with the Center for Peace and Social Justice and Residence Hall Association at SUNY New Paltz. Currently Joliz develops websites and uses her social media expertise to advocate around issues of immigration, education and LGTBQ rights. She has traveled throughout the United States, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. Joliz is fluent in Spanish and speaks conversational French.

Molly received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, followed by independent study in Havana, Cuba. Before returning to Global Kids in 2007, Molly helped lead a citywide technical assistance and training project, where she collaborated with schools and youth organizations to create and implement strategies to strengthen youth development and create more opportunities for youth leadership. Molly has a range of experience in the education field, including leading programs in a start-up school for court-involved youth, performing professional development for youth workers and educators and organizing parents. As a Trainer at GK from 2000-2002, she helped develop the Human Rights Activist Project (HRAP) and traveled with youth to Croatia. Currently, she supports leadership programs and program staff, as well as coordinates HRAP. Molly completed the Middle Management program for Youth Development at Columbia’s Institute for Nonprofit Management and was recently a United Way Senior Fellow. She will receive a Masters in Public Administration from the Baruch School of Public Affairs in August 2010.

Amira is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of GMU in Peace and Conflict Studies and received her Masters in Human Rights and Middle East Political Development from Columbia University. She has also conducted research and coursework at the University of Alexandria in Egypt, St. Anthony's College of Oxford University, and the American University in Cairo. Previous to joining Global Kids, Amira worked as a facilitator for the Project Tolerance Fellowship and the National Coalition Building Institute in programs utilizing conflict mitigation and informal education as a vehicle for peace building and community development. Amira is fluent in Arabic and is currently learning Farsi. In her free time, Amira enjoys traveling, reading, writing, running, and cooking.

Since joining Global Kids in 1996, Evie has helped oversee the development, supervision, and expansion of GK's programs in New York City schools and has designed numerous special projects for youth and educators. Most recently, Evie spearheaded the writing of Teen Action, a service learning curriculum grounded in GK methodology, for New York City's Department of Youth and Community Development, which is being used at over 60 sites by other community based organizations. Evie also provides professional development training for Teen Action youth workers, and other educators throughout the city and in other parts of the world, including Croatia and England. Each year, Evie guides a team of GK Leaders to develop and produce the annual Global Kids Youth Conference, which brings together over 600 youth and adults for a day of peer led workshops and social action. Evie has a BS in Journalism from Boston University and an MA in Educational Theater from New York University. Evie was a Rockefeller Foundation Next Generation Leadership Fellow and is a member at the Council on Foreign Relations. Prior to working at GK, she worked as Service Leader for ASPIRA of New York and a Master Actor/Teacher for the Creative Arts Team. She speaks fluent Greek and is proficient in French. In addition to her work at Global Kids, Evie is active in community affairs and received the New York City Council's Pacesetter award for outstanding women.

Brian hails from Lisbon, Connecticut. He formed an interest in politics and international affairs from a high school civics class. He holds a BA from Skidmore College, where he studied Government and played baseball. Soon after graduation, he joined a congressional campaign in his home district in the role of volunteer coordinator. Following the campaign, Brian served as a founding member of Oasis AmeriCorps in Nashville, TN and has recently completed Citizen Schools Teaching Fellowship, in which he instructed 8th grade students, coordinated the Boston Public Library's citywide Homework Assistance Program, and earned a Masters in Education from Lesley University. Brian has traveled extensively in the United States and Europe. When not at work, Brian can be found coaching, cycling, and rooting on his beloved Uconn Huskies.

Tené holds a BA from Amherst College in Sociology and an MA in International Educational Development from Teachers College, Columbia University. Before coming to Global Kids, she was the Program Coordinator at the Harlem Children's Zone TRUCE program, managing arts education and media literacy projects for youth. She has also worked abroad, teaching a performing arts workshop with young women in the Dominican Republic and dance classes at a street children's center in Durban, South Africa. Her experience abroad includes leading summer travel programs with youth in South Africa and extensive travel and study in France, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Thailand, Cambodia and Japan. She is proficient in Spanish and French, and has studied Zulu and Xhosa.

Krista holds an MA from Arcadia University in International Peace and Conflict Resolution and a BA from the University of Kansas in Anthropology. Krista has worked in the past with PEACETALKS and Women's Campaign International, doing development and research work. She has also interned with Mercy Corps, helping with the opening of their new [as of October 2008] Action Center to End World Hunger, which is in Battery Park in NYC. Krista has lived, wandered, worked and traveled through parts of Asia, Europe, Central and North America and the South Pacific.

Nicholas earned a BBA in Finance/Accounting from Bernard Baruch College. Nicholas brings a wealth of fiscal experience to Global Kids with over 12 years experience in the non-profit industry. He has previously held several key positions, including Controller at BCH, Director of Finance at Council on International Educational Exchanges, Assistant Controller at Safe Horizon, and consultant at Brooklyn Public Library.

Eris earned his BA in Creative Writing and African American Studies from Hampshire College in 2003. For his senior thesis he wrote a short historical novel set in Chicago during 1920 titled Death on a Train Headed North. Eris has taught creative writing workshops in Massachusetts, Chicago, and San Francisco, focusing on African American forms of storytelling. He also worked in the San Francisco public schools to achieve equitable and challenging classrooms for African American and Latino students. Eris has traveled to the Caribbean and Western Europe.

Barry holds a BA from Northwestern University and an MA in American Studies from New York University. Barry came to Global Kids in 2000 through the New Voices Fellowship of the Academy for Educational Development, funded by the Ford Foundation. He has developed innovative programs in the areas of youth-led online dialogues, video games as a form of youth media, and the educational potential of virtual worlds, combining youth development practices with the development of high profile digital media projects that develop 21st Century Skills. He has also worked with GK's development program to secure funding from a number of foundation's and corporations. Barry serves on the steering committee of the MacArthur Foundation's Digital Media and Learning initiative and his writing appeared in the Foundation's Ecology of Games volume in 2007. He has spoken at numerous conferences and published articles in a wide variety of publications.

Courtney holds a BA from UCLA in History and African Studies and a Master's Degree from Harvard University Graduate School of Education in Administrative Planning and Social Policy. She has traveled extensively in West Africa, Southern Africa, Cuba, and Mexico. In Oakland, California, Courtney was the director of follow up services for Global Education Partnership, an international nonprofit that works in Indonesia, Guatemala, Kenya, Tanzania, and the Bay Area. At GEP, Courtney helped develop programming and train staff in Guatemala. In 2001, Courtney traveled to South Africa to write for the travel guide Let's Go and attend the UN World Conference Against Racism. She is also a professional dancer and co-founder of the company Candela Azul.

Ian earned a BBA in Public Accounting from Pace University. Prior to working at Global Kids, he was an accounting analyst at the Evelyn Douglin Center in Brooklyn, NY. Ian also worked at Jackson Hewitt for the past three tax seasons doing personal and corporate taxes. Ian is a member of the National Association of Black Accountants.

Eddie holds a BA in Political Science/African Studies from Hampshire College, and MS in International Relations from the London School of Economics. He has studied International Affairs and French in Geneva, Switzerland with the School for International Training. Prior to joining Global Kids, he interned with The Hague Appeal for Peace in New York, the Aga Khan Foundation in Geneva and the Inter Africa Committee on Harmful Traditional Practices Against Women and Children also in Geneva. He is the Project Director of the Global Kids U.S. in the World Program on International Law and Foreign Policy conducted in collaboration with the Council on Foreign Relations, New York. A Kenyan national, Eddie has traveled extensively in Europe and Africa. He is fluent in Kiswahili with the basic understanding of French and Amharic.

Catherine received her BA in Community Development from Daystar University in Kenya and an MA in Sustainable Development from the School for International Training (SIT) in Vermont. Prior to joining GK, she worked as a Teaching Assistant for SIT's Graduate Program in Intercultural Service, Leadership and Management. She coordinated and co-facilitated courses such as Education for Social Justice, International Policy and Citizen Advocacy, and Program Planning and Project Design. Catherine also worked as a Program Assistant with 'Our Common Future' sustainability project at the University of Southern Maine (USM), aiding in initiating projects that link the local community to the university. While at USM, she also worked with the Upward Bound Summer Program, teaching her native language Swahili to High School students. She has traveled to Uganda and Canada, and is currently learning French.

Kevin received a BA in Political Science and Economics from Middlebury College and an MA in International Affairs from the School of International Service at American University. Prior to joining Global Kids, he interned at Save the Children and the International Crisis Group in Washington, DC. At Crisis Group, he was involved in the initiation of a grassroots campaign that advocated for state pension fund and university divestment from companies conducting business in Sudan. The campaign was part of a larger effort to increase awareness of and influence policy towards addressing the genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Kevin also played a key role as a member of the research team that worked on the book Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond by John Prendergast and Don Cheadle. Kevin is a Kenyan national and speaks fluent Kiswahili.

Sofia holds a BFA in Drama from New York University and an MPA in public administration from Baruch College. She is responsible for directing the grant development and communications activities of Global Kids. Prior to joining Global Kids, Sofia was the Director of Development and Outreach for HOPE at the NYU School of Medicine, where she developed and managed the fundraising and communications functions for an initiative that addresses child obesity prevention. She has also worked for other non-profit organizations including the Puerto Rican Family Institute and the Montefiore Child Advocacy Center as a fundraiser, administrator and program developer. In her previous positions, she secured major funding from public and private sources for the expansion of program services as well as the development of new initiatives in the areas of youth development, family support, health and social services. Sofia is fluent in Spanish and has traveled to the Caribbean.

Rik has a BA in Communications and Sociology from UCLA and a Masters in Politics from NYU. He has a long history using technology to facilitate civic action -- from Usenet, BBSs and Gopher in the 1990s to virtual worlds and machinima today. Most recently, he was the coordinator of an innovative program at the Social Science Research Council that connected media activists and media academics with funding and project support. Rik coordinated NGO participation at the UN World Summit on the Information Society in Tunisia in 2005 and managed a human rights internship program for the European Commission in Geneva in 2003. He is proficient in Spanish and French.

Nick holds a BA from Tufts University where he majored in international relations and political science. After graduating, Nick spent a year teaching English in Bangkok, Thailand , and was able to travel throughout the region upon completing his work as a teacher. He has previous summer work experience at People for the American Way and the Office of the Public Advocate. Nick has also spent substantial time in France and is fluent in French.

Crisitina graduated from Swarthmore College in 2005 with a major in Political Science and a minor in Philosophy. At Swarthmore, she wrote her senior thesis on youth violence and democracy in Central America. Cristina has been a longtime volunteer at the Workplace Project, an advocacy center for immigrant workers. She has studied in France, Italy, and El Salvador and traveled to the Czech Republic, Germany, England, and Guatemala, among others. Cristina is fluent in Spanish and proficient in French.

Rafi received his BA with honors from New York University with a concentration in Integral Approaches to Understanding. While studying in the city, he worked as a tutor and mentor in the New York City public school system and as a Holocaust educator for the Museum of Jewish Heritage. After graduating, Rafi spent a year in India as an American Jewish World Service World Partners Fellow, where he worked in a Bombay-based NGO dedicated to conflict resolution between Hindu and Muslim communities. He has traveled to Norway, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Israel, India, Burma and Thailand. Rafi speaks conversational Hebrew and Hindi and his interests include meditation, photography and Karate.

Adena holds BAs in comparative literature, English, and Spanish from Penn State University. During her time at Penn State, Adena pursued her passion for intercultural exchange as an ESOL instructor with the Center for Adult Literacy Education. Following graduation, she continued to explore international education as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at a public bilingual secondary school in Madrid. She is fortunate to have had the opportunity to travel extensively in Europe and the Middle East and to study in Chile and Venezuela. In addition to globe-trotting, Adena loves to sing, hike, read world literature, and speak conversational Spanish. She is very excited to join the Global Kids team and discover the vibrant pulse of New York City.

Arti is a Magna cum Laude graduate of Princeton University in French and Italian. While at Princeton, she was an active member of the African and International Students' Associations and worked to organize events and raise awareness about global affairs. Arti has spent her summers studying in France and Italy, and interning at a translation agency in Paris. She has also worked as a translator and teacher at WAMATO, a small school dedicated to providing basic education to underserved Tanzanian youth. A Tanzanian national of Indian descent and a globetrotter at heart, Arti is fluent in French, Italian and Kutchi, proficient in Kiswahili and learning Portuguese. In her free time, Arti enjoys traveling, reading, cooking and learning new languages.

Dominique graduated in 1996 from Leuven University in Belgium with a Masters Degree in Communication Sciences. Prior to working at Global Kids, he has worked as an Education Facilitator with the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center in the Bronx. Dominique also lived and worked in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, where he co-founded and coordinated Baobabconnections, a non-profit multimedia project for youth about globalization. As one of two program coordinators, he visited youth organizations, schools and universities in Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Spain, Canada and the Netherlands. A Belgian national, Dominique is fluent in French, Dutch, and English.

Rebecca received her BA from Colby College in International Studies with a minor in Environmental Studies. While at Colby, she was involved with Students Organized for Black and Hispanic Unity as well as Colby for Humanity. Rebecca is a GK alumna, having worked on the Small Schools Planning Team, E.A. 911, and the Human Rights and Labor Project. She has travelled to Croatia, Germany, and Ecuador. She is proficient in Spanish.

David currently supports the organization as Associate Director of Programs and assists in numerous ways. He coordinates and supervises teams of Global Kids (GK) staff members at various schools throughout New York City and helps with the facilitation of special professional development trainings. Since working at GK, David has created numerous workshops and materials for students and teachers that have addressed issues such as human rights, the concept of global citizenry, sustainability, child soldiers, youth empowerment, discrimination, human trafficking and foreign policies. All his work has been grounded in GK methodology that view young people as positive agents of change and aim to prepare them with the knowledge, tools and experience to become global citizens. Recently David was appointed to participate in a conference conducted by the Organization of American States (OAS) in Lima, Peru, where the focus was on evaluating the status of the Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC) and the role of young people in it’s future enforcement and escorted a small team of high school students. Through collaborations with an organization called Peacboat, David has also participated in other international trips with students and has traveled to countries such as Jamaica, Panama, Costa Rica, London, Norway and Ireland. The objectives were to raise awareness on issues of conflict in certain areas of the world and build solidarity among the youth who participated in these trips. Prior to working at Global Kids, David worked as the Project Coordinator at the Coalition for Hispanic Family Services, which engaged young people after school through an Arts & Literacy Program. He has also passionately invested much time and energy into a Latino church youth group called the Jornada Movement, that has served hundreds of young people throughout the city to develop leadership skills and a sense of moral and spiritual guidance. His role was once as president of the movement. David comes to us with an education from New York University, where he earned his BA in the Education of Mathematics and Cultural Anthropology. He is fluent in Spanish and actively serves on the community board where he resides.

Leonor holds a BA from Penn State University in Sociology and African & African American studies. At Penn State, Leonor worked extensively with Sankofa Empowerment, a grass-roots organization that is dedicated to community- building. After graduating, Leonor worked as a Math and Spanish tutor and as a translator at a local high school in Crown Heights and East New York, Brooklyn. As a Global Kids Leader in high school, Leonor traveled to Denmark to conduct workshops on human rights and diversity. She has traveled to England, Italy, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. Leonor is a native Brooklynite who speaks fluent Spanish and is currently learning Swahili.

Ned received his BA in 2003 from Oberlin College, where he studied Spanish language and literature. Before coming to Global Kids, Ned worked for over three years as an Imagery Analyst and Administrative Officer with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, in Washington, D.C. Originally from Washington himself, Ned has studied abroad in Spain and Guatemala and has travelled throughout Europe and Central America. He speaks conversational Spanish and is a musician, poet and artist.

Nassim received a BA/BFA in sociology and jazz performance from the New School University. During his studies he participated in a School for International Training development studies program in Uganda, where he worked with homeless youth. As a percussion teacher and mentor, Nassim worked with Brotherhood/Sister Sol and a music mentorship program run through the Police Athletic League using music to develop positive social skills with young people. Nassim also led a series of workshops on the arts and social change at an elementary school in Brooklyn. He has traveled and volunteered in several African and Latin American countries. Most recently he worked with a rural woman's association in Senegal teaching about HIV/AIDS in a program funded by the Canadian International Development Agency. Nassim is proficient in French, Spanish, Wolof, has studied Luganda and Arabic, and plays several instruments including congas, talking drum, djembe, guitar and bass.