On Monday, August 12th, the Global Youth Advancement Network (GYAN) at Michigan State University hosted a virtual Innovation Collaboratory to celebrate International Youth Day, an annual observance recognized by the United Nations.

During this event, faculty and staff from MSU engaged in dialogue with global youth who shared their exciting projects, research innovations, and solutions for global issues.The dialogue between youth and mentors also connected the event to the United Nations’ theme for International Youth Day 2024, “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development.”

GYAN was honored to invite Dean Steven Hanson, Vice Provost and Dean for International Studies and Programs, to give the opening remarks to set an inspirational tone to the day, and to reinforce to our youth participants the value and potential connections MSU sees in their global work toward progress and sustainable development. To close the event, Opal Leeman Bartzis Ed.D., the Executive Director of Education Abroad and Interim Director of the Global Youth Advancement Network, welcomed all of the attendees on behalf of the GYAN team, and highlighted GYAN’s mission to build a network of youth who are working to build a better world and striving toward success.

The virtual Innovation Collaboratory included five panels, each consisting of a youth group coordinator, one MSU faculty/staff member acting as an expert, and youth presenters who shared the work they are doing toward sustainable development. Each panel included a space devoted to networking between participants, along with tailored feedback and mentoring from the expert panelist. We were pleased to hear from a total of 15 youth participants from 9 different countries and nations - for more information about each presentation (including video recordings), please visit GYAN's Innovation Collaboratory webpage.

The event also included a “Mindstorm Session,” during which participants shared their future plans related to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), discussed the essential skills necessary to achieving the SDGs, and contributed their messages of advice about the importance of the SDG’s to be shared with other young people.

Among the advice generated during the exercise was to place an emphasis on collaborative and intergenerational partnerships, sustainable solutions, and technological innovation, all skills that were demonstrated by this group of ​​creative and motivated youth, and fostered by this event.

GYAN looks forward to supporting capacity building and continuing to host collaborative programs like these that celebrate and encourage young people to lead in the effort to create a better future!

For more information about this event (or previous iterations of this event) please visit GYAN's Innovation Collaboratory webpage.