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GLOBAL YOUTH INITIATIVE

When our youth thrive, our cities thrive.
The Global Youth Initiative sees the limitless potential of our youngest citizens, empowering and developing youth as leaders.

MENTORING

Providing youth with caring, consistent adult mentors.

SPORTS

Developing leadership and life skills through sports.

MENTORING

Preparing Youth as the Next Generation of Leaders by Connecting Them with Caring Mentoring Relationships

OUR APPROACH

OUR APPROACH

Since 2015, our network has provided 17,000+ youth with caring, consistent mentors in more than 30 cities worldwide. We invest in the leaders of these programs by providing capacity building resources, evidence-based training for their mentors, a personal coach, and a community of practice that supports one another and shares innovative ideas.
Meet The Mentoring Network

OUR IMPACT

OUR IMPACT

17,000+ youth matched with a caring, consistent mentor at 100+ mentoring locations

64% improvement in school attendance and truancy reduction

49% improvement in youth participants' leadership skills

SPORTS

Developing leadership and life skills in youth through sports

OUR APPROACH

OUR APPROACH

In 2015, our network began holding basketball clinics paired with leadership development training across the US, connecting participating youth to local LF mentoring programs.

In 2018, through a partnership with eCoach and Athletes in Action (AIA), we expanded to begin training coaches and players around the world.
Meet The Network

OUR IMPACT

OUR IMPACT

10,000+ youth impacted through basketball clinics and life skills training

90% increased understanding of leadership, character development, and community engagement

3 new basketball courts built in Kibra, the largest slum in Africa
See Our Work In Action

PARTNERS

Our partners make the life-changing work of the Global Youth Initiative possible.

GLOBAL YOUTH INITIATIVE NETWORK

Billings Leadership Foundation   2902 Minnesota Ave, Billings, MT 59102
Catalyst Leadership Foundation   D-177, Sector-8, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075, Delhi, India
Center for Transforming Mission Kenya   OAIC Compound Riara Road, Office #7 and 8, Nairobi, Kenya
Champions In Services of San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles   12605 Osborne Street, Pacoima, CA
Charleston Leadership Foundation | Be A Mentor   PO Box 1074, Charleston, SC 29407
Dallas Leadership Foundation  3101 Greenwood, Dallas, TX 75204
GR Center for Community Transformation   901 Eastern Ave NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Jackson Leadership Foundation   745 North President Street, Jackson, MS 39202
Justice Journey Alliance   P.O. Box 221102, Chicago, IL 60622
Knoxville Leadership Foundation   318 North Gay Street, Suite 210, Knoxville, TN 37915
Leadership Foundations   902 Market Street, Tacoma, WA
Lexington Leadership Foundation   PO Box 4654, Lexington, KY 40544
Memphis Leadership Foundation   1548 Poplar St., Memphis, TN 38104
Miami Valley Leadership Foundatio  425 N Findlay Street, Ste 223, Dayton, Ohio 45404
New Vision   PO Box 425, Philippi, WV 26416 Additional sites in NC
Next Chapter Ministries   PO Box 9321, Rochester, MN 55903
One by One Leadership Foundation   1390 North 15th Street, Suite A, P.O. Box 5393 Immokalee, FL 34143
Philadelphia Leadership Foundation   2210 S. 71st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19142
Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation   100 W. Station Square Dr., Ste. 625, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Savannah Leadership Foundation   5975 Ogeechee Road, Savannah, GA 31419
Resurgence Leadership Foundation   PO Box 360974, Atlanta, GA 360974
The Center for Community Transformation, Leadership Foundation of Fresno   1719 L Street, Fresno, CA 93721
The First Coast Leadership Foundation   PO Box 5765, Jacksonville, FL 32247
The Root Cellar   89 Birch Street, Lewiston, ME 04240
Thrive Collective   250 E 117th Street, Ground FLoor, New York, NY 10035
Transform Scott County   147 Stephen Drive, Georgetown, KY 40324
Urban Ventures   2924 S 4th Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55408
Wilmington Area Leadership Foundation   20 N. 4th Street, Suite 220, Wilmington, NC 28401
YuvaLok   16, The Ambassador, 6th Cross, Hutchins Road, Bangalore, India 560084

The Difference a Mentor can Make!

Throughout the world, LF is developing young leaders by connecting underserved youth to caring adult mentors.

Youth like Jorden and his mentor Raymont…

New Book Launch

City As Playground Anthology

 is now available for purchase in print and Kindle.

Celia Vigil

Communications Associate

What book, movie, quote, or tv show has most shaped your understanding of leadership or the city?   

A quote that has shaped my understanding of leadership and the city is, “Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly now, love mercy now, walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”

While the amount of work there is to do to transform cities is great, this quote reminds me that we are freed from having to complete it all, though our obligation to continue remains. We may never see a huge transformation in our lifetime. The work stretches far beyond us. However, this does not make our acts of faithfulness in the day to day less significant, no matter how small they may seem.