King’s Academy students Mariam Almuzainy ’23 and Taher Vahanvaty ’23 have been selected for admission to the Global Citizens Initiative (GCI) Fellowship 2022 program.

The Global Citizens Initiative (GCI) works to empower young global citizens from all sectors of society to be lifelong leaders of positive change. According to GCI, it envisions a global community where individuals embrace their unique colorful stories and cultures as they design and implement solutions to global issues that transcend social, economic and political boundaries.

King’s Academy is currently one of two international schools worldwide that have been chosen to pilot a unique new program designed by GCI that embraces cross-cultural communication, problem-solving and ethics. This program has been incorporated into the existing AP Comparative Government and Politics course at King’s.

According to GCI, the fellowship is a unique 10-month program designed to equip students with the mindset, skills and resources necessary to be an effective and ethical leader. Those selected will join 35 other fellows from around the world at the GCI Summit at the University of St Andrews, where they will learn how to implement a project that addresses a global issue in their local community. After the summit, they will work with an individual mentor on this issue for the remaining nine months of the fellowship.

In addition to admission to this year’s GCI Fellowship program, Almuzainy and Vahanvaty have been awarded a full scholarship to cover the fellowship tuition and a travel grant.

In the awards letter sent by Yumi Kuwana, founder and president of GCI, and Rita Gail Johnson, chief operating officer of GCI, they said that the admissions committee was “impressed by the caliber of their applications, their great potential as a global leader and their desire to enact positive change in their community.”

“Your interest in cross-cultural exchange, your deep sense of responsibility to your community and the respect and admiration you command from peers and teachers are all outstanding,” the letter read. “Your enthusiasm, optimism, work ethic and generosity of spirit truly inspire us!”