Hey, Roommates! Meet Yemane. He recently studied abroad, courtesy of the IYLI and he says that the program allowed him to be more confident in himself as a young black man. It’s especially important for young people to travel, because it changes your perspective of what you only know to be true. You’ll find that there’s so much more to the life you live every day and that is why The Shade Room has partnered up with hip hop mogul, Russell Simmons, in order to raise funds for the International Youth Leadership Institute.
Since 1989, they have sponsored trips for over 500 less-fortunate Black and Latino youth to study in 40 overseas programs in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa at zero or low-cost thanks to people like you! Their mission is to “nurture a new generation of visionary leaders from the African Diaspora who, inspired by their rich African heritage, are committed to leave a legacy in the world.”
Over the past 27 years, the 92% of the IYLI’s alumni have gone on to attend postsecondary institutions such as Columbia, Yale, Howard, NYU, and Brown University. They have also received numerous scholarships like the prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship, Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, Fulbright, and Thomas Watson Fellowship.
So, as you can see, these trips are so necessary for our people and culture to thrive! Whitney Houston said the children are our future, so let’s invest in them! You can view a detailed description of the trip and words form a few of the students on https://gofundme.com/theshaderoom page!
Thanks Roommates! Please share this with everyone you know!
TSR STAFF: Talia O. @theclosetratchet on Instagram & @tallyohhh on Twitter!
GoFund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/theshaderoom
