When most hear of education problems, or any larger issue in general, they tend to think of third-world countries as the main proponents. However, things can be done to help the education cause on a much smaller scale.

The GYF, hosted by an organization called People to People International which was founded to promote international understanding and education, gave students access to staggering information regarding education.

For example, students learned that over 140 million children in developing countries have never attended school. More shocking to some, it was also revealed that one in four, 25 percent, of children in America grow up without learning how to read.

To combat this, the students participating in the GYF completed a service project with United Way, an organization that works toward education, finance, and health goals for all. Students were paired up and assigned to create literacy kits. These kits include a book, a note, and activities and items that go along with the book. The United Way distributes these literacy kits to local elementary schools to boost the involvement of the children. One of the organization’s goals is to ensure that all children can read proficiently by the fourth grade.

“The kits were a lot of fun because the whole time you’re making it, you’re just thinking about how the kids are gonna react,” Ricardo Gonzalez, a Missouri delegate, said.

Gonzalez, along with many other students, were also able to participate in workshops, hear speeches, and come up with a plan of action, all in the name of education.

PTPI used a famous quote by the late Nelson Mandela to inspire its delegates: “Education is the most powerful tool you can use to change the world.”