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As a fifteen-year-old, Heman Bekele was named TIME’s 2024 Kid of the Year for his groundbreaking skin cancer prevention and treatment work. Born in Ethiopia, he immigrated to the US as a four-year-old with his family. Heman’s memories of people working under the glaring sun, plus the dramatic differences in skin cancer survival rates, were his driving forces. He developed a skin cancer-treating soap that encourages dendritic cells to boost their immune responses, thereby protecting the skin as an immunotherapeutic, a promising approach to early-stage cancer detection and treatment. As a previous winner of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge, Heman is working with scientists to conduct clinical trials on mice and is on his way to securing a patent.
Dr. Matthew C. MacWilliams is the Global Public Opinion Lead of the Foundation International Communications Hub (Comms Hub), a foundation based in Spain that is dedicated to the furtherance of civil society and democracy globally. Dr. MacWilliams is also, a Non-Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, Senior External Adviser to European Movement International in Brussels, and remains President of MacWilliams Sanders Communications. Dr. MacWilliams earned his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Massachusetts where he was a Visiting Research Associate and lectured on democracy and participation in the international Civic Initiative program.
Amy Meuers is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Youth Leadership Council, the leading service-learning organization in the country for more than 40 years. Amy has spent 20 years with NYLC leading both national and international service-learning initiatives that expand the capacity of educators to utilize service-learning as an instructional strategy with students of all age-levels. Under her leadership, NYLC launched Youth as Solutions, a national service-learning program that supports teams of youth across the country in addressing issues impacting their communities.
Sarah is a faculty member at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the Director of the first-year Great Problems Seminar program. She was the founding director of Lehigh University’s Center for Community Engagement and faculty member in Sociology and Anthropology. She co-chairs the Imagining America Assessing Practices of Public Scholarship (APPS) collective, which focuses on democratically-engaged assessment practices to empower and transform systems, communities, and individuals. She is also the co-director of the Community-Based Global Learning Collaborative (The Collaborative), a membership organization dedicated to advancing community-based global learning and research for more just, inclusive, and sustainable communities.
As an Education Specialist at the Chattahoochee-Flint RESA in Georgia, JoAnna addresses non-academic barriers to student success and helps build capacity for educators through specialized professional development. JoAnna demonstrates excellence in classroom teaching and research that focuses on languages, literacy, and service-learning. A driving force of her work is the belief in student voice to celebrate local history and servant leadership.
A mama, partner, friend, sister and daughter – Shei is an international educator with extensive experience in inquiry and conceptual-based learning, skilled in teaching students across grades 1 to 12. Shei’s deep commitment lies in leading service, solutionary approach, global citizenship, and community engagement initiatives, enhancing collaborations with youth, educators, and organizations globally. Shei is pursuing a Master’s degree focusing on educational neuroscience, children and youth development, and international mindedness through the University of the People in partnership with the International Baccalaureate Organization.
Director of Counseling of Taipei Municipal Minzu Experimental Junior High School, Taiwan
Ph.D. of Educational Administration and Evaluation of University of Taipei, Taiwan (2017-2023)
I am Executive Director of non-profit organization Stamp out Stigma for Mental Health serving youth across Canada. Focusing on mental health initiatives to provide poverty relief, food security, access to educational resources and training, programs focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion and mental health among all population regardless of race, age, or religion. Youth leaders are passionate about making a positive difference in the world.
Silas Cole is the Director of Programs at the Volunteer Center South Bay/Harbor/Long Beach, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the community to practice empathy, spread kindness, and volunteer where care is needed most. With over 12 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Silas specializes in program development and management. He currently leads initiatives focused on food insecurity, educational inequity, and teen mental health.
My service project Harvest Moon, which can be modeled in your community, is in honor of my Dad who passed away from colon cancer. I design paintings inspired by him and donate 100% of the profits to colon cancer efforts at the Roper St Francis Hospital in the Charleston, SC community. Spreading colon cancer awareness, funding medical advancements, and shining God’s light onto others through art is all that I am about- Painting for a Purpose!
Megan Hall is the Program Director for the Teens Lifting Teens Grant at Utah State University, where she oversees recruiting, budgeting, data collection & analysis, as well as writing curriculum and providing training and resources to the youth advisors on how to provide meaningful near-peer mentoring experiences and service learning for their youth. Last year they had 650 youth in their program and served over 7,000 youth state-wide.
Khristopher Hill is a dynamic leader whose work spans business, government, and community advocacy. A Michigan State University graduate in Comparative Culture and Politics, he began as a community organizer, earning the Princeton Prize in Race Relations. As COO of Austin Logistics, Director of the Austin Foundation, and a two-time appointee to the Michigan Community Service Commission, Hill empowers youth and drives impactful change.
Hello, my name is Vernita. As an autodidact and emotional polymath, I crafted SOL3U with 30 years of experience working with diverse groups. Through participating in the Service-Learning Leadership Program and Breath4Change, I earned my Yoga and SEL Facilitation certification. In my journey to regain balance in my life, SOL3U is a concept that views emotions as true energy and emphasizes the importance of generating your own light.
Dr. Ruth Jefferson has experience in public education and academia. She has developed programs in literacy and math at all levels of public education. Dr. Jefferson has designed services for students at all levels, and has implemented RTI/MTSS in many districts. Her research interests include literacy, outdoor education, teacher preparation, and others. Her innovative work includes the High Riding Art and Equestrian Camp and Camp Adventure.
Dr. Christie McMullen is a best-selling author and 25-year educator turned entrepreneur who can help you make work fun! Christie trains educators to be better at what they do so students have options when they graduate from high school. Her ability to make learning safe, logical, fun, and memorable is contagious and works in every environment. She takes teaching and learning to a whole new level and makes sure you have fun in the process.
Ashley McPherson is the Director of Programs at DoSomething, where she oversees a team of mission-led professionals who ensure youth members’ civic curiosities are met with education and engagement opportunities. She is a seasoned non-profit leader who has dedicated her career to studying and providing solutions that assist historically overlooked populations in successfully entering and persisting in the workforce and society at-large.
My name is Emma Nieto and I am a recent graduate of the University of Texas. I am an evaluator for the Future Problem Solving Community Projects Program, where I help guide and assess creative and critical thinking in young problem-solvers around the world. In addition, I work as the Marketing and Communication Coordinator for the Austin Marathon, combining my passion for community engagement with strategic communication.
Linda V. Rivera is the Deputy Director, for the NJ Governor’s Office of Volunteerism, responsible for program planning, training, fiscal administration and marketing. Linda has over 26 years of experience in service-learning, youth service, volunteerism, grant writing. Linda is a member of the NJ Grant Writing Professionals, an advisory council member of the NYLC and a co-founder of B-Men–a mentoring program for at-risk youth.
Cheyenne is the Program Director at Riley’s Way, overseeing the Call For Kindness program that empowers young leaders (13-23) to launch social impact projects that inspire kindness and strengthen communities. With a background in community organizing and youth development, Cheyenne curates dynamic leadership development training and provides personalized support, amplifying young changemakers’ voices for a more compassionate and connected world.
Patricia Shafer is Executive Director of the international nonprofit organization NewGen Peacebuilders and the associated Youth & Peace in Action initiative. She also serves as Senior Fellow for Peace Education at Washington, DC-based Alliance for Peacebuilding and Global Ambassador with the Institute for Economics & Peace. In these roles, Patricia’s focus is on leadership for the design and delivery of peace education.
Faiza Venzant is the Executive Director of the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration and is also a Principal Investigator with the Assessing Diversity and Equity in Volunteer Inclusion project which is funded by AmeriCorps. In 2018, Faiza published her first children’s book entitled, My Mamma Wants to Eat Me Up! As a mother of two young boys, she has not actually eaten any of her children.
Driven by family, authentic action, nature, and reflection – Dom is an international school service learning educator with a passion for supporting those around him to develop their service leadership endeavours, especially young solutionary changemakers. He is inspired by the ways in which we can collaboratively draw on a constellation of knowledge, skills, and dispositions to regeneratively solve some of the world’s deepest systemic challenges. He has an academic background in exercise physiology and neurocognition, and holds a Master’s degree in Climate Change and Development through the University of London SOAS.
James is a global changemaker whose work has focused on supporting a new generation of youth leaders from over 50 countries that are designing innovative solutions for some of the world’s most pressing problems. He is the Executive Director of Compass Institute, a Senior Fellow emeritus at the University of Minnesota, and the co-founder (with his wife) of NYLC’s Professional Development Department.
Director of General Affairs of Taipei Municipal Minzu Experimental Junior High School, Taiwan
Top 100 Elite Information Technology Application Talent Education Award, Taipei, Taiwan
As the Director of Admission + Community Outreach at GLOW Academy, Jen brings 20+ years of experience focusing on community relations, event planning, fundraising, project management, and volunteer engagement. A certified Red Cross Instructor, she has served on PTAs, volunteered with Girl Scouts and local nonprofits in NC. Her passion for service was sparked in childhood, assisting her Dad and older brothers, all dedicated volunteer firefighters.
Alli Zuel, CVA (she/her) is the Volunteer Engagement Manager at America’s Service Commissions (ASC). In her position at ASC, Alli works with service commissions that support AmeriCorps VISTA projects, Volunteer Generation Fund, and broader volunteer engagement strategies including youth service. Alli is a proud AmeriCorps alum. She achieved her Certification in Volunteer Administration (CVA) in October 2021.
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