Mayor Taveras Awards Providence Students Global Leadership Scholarship

Providence Mayor Angel Taveras today awarded five Providence students full scholarships to attend Plan International USA's Youth United for Global Action and Awareness (YUGA) Leadership Camp.

YUGA is a nationwide network of ambitious young people who take action on global issues. Through campaigns and advocacy activities, YUGA members educate their classmates and communities about global challenges and engage them in finding solutions.

Every summer, YUGA conducts a week-long Leadership Camp to recruit new YUGA members and inspire returning ones. YUGA Leadership Camp convenes 60-80 youths aged 13- to 18-years-old at Camp Aldersgate in North Scituate, Rhode Island. This year's camp runs July 22-28.

"I commend Plan International USA for providing five young people from Providence with scholarships to the YUGA Leadership Camp," said Providence Mayor Angel Taveras. "The five students that have been selected all attend Innovation Zone high schools in Providence that are building collaborative leadership models for their school communities, and the leadership and advocacy skills these young people acquire this summer at YUGA will be of great value to them and their entire high school communities during the upcoming school year."

This year's scholarship winners are:

Sematree, Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School
Georgia, Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School
Ana, Mt. Pleasant High School
Kevin, Mt. Pleasant High School
Jenly, Dr. Jorge Alvarez High School

"YUGA believes that young people have the power to make real and lasting change. By listening to a diverse range of youth voices from around the world, we can resolve some of the humanity's greatest challenges, such as extreme poverty, child exploitation, and HIV/AIDS," said Dounia Bredes, Youth Outreach and Marketing Coordinator at Plan International USA. "We are very proud of what our YUGA camp accomplishes each year, and we are thrilled to welcome this year's scholarship winner."

About Youth United for Global Action and Awareness

YUGA is an initiative of Plan International USA's Youth Engagement and Action program. The YEA program seeks to build and strengthen a network of young people, youth groups and organizations, and adult allies who raise awareness and take action on issues that affect children and youth around the world.