“After doing congressional lobbying in DC, I felt like my voice really mattered. I wanted to bring the confidence that I gained to girls in my local community," said Lara, one of the 2025 GCE-US Youth Advocates while presenting her final community action project.
On November 11, the Youth Advocates wrapped up six months of leadership training with an inspiring showcase of their community projects, each one proof that young voices can drive real change. The event, hosted by Program Director Grace Mariana Rector and joined by Executive Director Giulia McPherson and GCE-US member Girls Learn International (GLI), was full of energy, reflection, and pride.
Through the advocates’ local community projects, they reached over 350 people across their communities from California to the Gambia by designing and leading projects on issues from special education equity to school board advocacy and refugee access to higher education. “You’ve translated your lessons into deeply personal advocacy projects,” Rector shared in her opening remarks. Out of the eight advocates, four created their own mini advocacy training modeled off of the GCE-US advocacy training program. The culmination of their training programs included students delivering letters to their school leaders or sharing their experiences.
Imaani presented a data-driven campaign to address inequities in 504 education plans, revealing how wealthier schools are four times more likely to access accommodations. Her project convened 40 students to learn how to navigate complex systems and transform awareness into action.
Lara shared her Plano ISD Policy Activists Program, modeled after GCE-US’s advocacy training. “We were the only speakers at the school board’s community input meeting,” she said. “That really showed how important civic participation is.” Her initiative empowered peers to speak confidently on local education issues like AI in classrooms. 
From California, Helena shared her moving reflection, The Power of Coalition Building, published on the Feminist Focus Blog. “Powerful change comes from powerful coalition building,” she wrote, highlighting the links between GCE-US and GCE-US members GLI and the National Education Association.
Divine inspired the audience with her research on refugee higher education, connecting global advocacy to her passion for equity and belonging. Other advocates like Mariama reached and trained young women advocates all the way in the Gambia showing photos of her students delivering letters to their university presidents (photo below). Others did mini advocacy training sessions with youth at their school! 
The evening ended with a collective message of hope. As one advocate reflected, “The highlight of this program was meeting all of you . . . I hope I’ll get to invite GCE-US advocates into my Senate office one day.”
The next generation of GCE youth advocates stands ready to keep organizing, keep learning, and keep raising their voices for education as a human right.