Youth Engagement
QFI's youth engagement programs focus on three key areas: Education, Leadership, and Service. Young people are the next generation of world leaders, educators, decision-makers and citizens of the world. QFI aims to inspire action, cultivate student-generated ideas, inspire life long learning and encourage young people to come together across borders and cultures to address local and global problems and become globally competent citizens.
QFI’s youth engagement programs are an expression of QFI’s mission to connect cultures for global good and fostering global citizenship among youth. Young people use multiple tools to explore and learn the world and connect across communities and their peoples: curiosity, technology and languages to name a few. QFI mobilizes these tools to equip youth with skills necessary to become active participants in the globalized world. The skills include investigating the world, understanding one's self and other perspectives, communicating and exchanging ideas, and taking action to address pressing community and global issues. QFI fulfills this mission by supporting, promoting and focusing on three main themes: cross-cultural/inter-group communication, leadership, and community service offering opportunities for youth to take on leadership roles and responsibilities through student-led projects and participation in conferences. Furthermore, we support initiatives that guide students on how to become collaborative and motivated leaders in their communities.
Student-Led Learning
QFI supports projects that mentor youth in their path of investigating the world, increasing their awareness of their immediate and more distant environments and communicating and articulating their ideas to their peers and communities.
Leadership and YALLAH (Youth Allied to Learn, Lead and Help)
At QFI, we believe that engaging with different cultures empowers youth and gives them the tools to become global citizens and future leaders. Through the youth-led initiative, YALLAH, QFI alumni can discuss, problem-solve and share their ideas and cultures online.
Service and Volunteerism
An important part of QFI’s youth engagement vision is developing a culture of compassion, service and action through community engagement and volunteering. QFI partners students with local organizations to help communities affected by poverty, illness, or natural disasters through volunteering and community service.
Videos
The Road to Doha
QFI's Road to Doha program helped train and bring together youth from Qatar, the U.S., Brazil and Argentina to better understand and develop solutions to critical global issues and to more effectively raise environmental awareness.
The Future We Want
In June 2012, Youth Ambassadors for Science and the Environment traveled to Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Caravelas and Abrohlos National Marine Park before heading to Rio+20 Earth Summit.
YALLAH: Commit to Action, Minnesota
QFI selected 36 students from Brazil, Qatar and the U.S. to participate in the National Service-Learning Conference held in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Madeleine Albright Visits Lindblom
On April 10, 2012, Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited QFI's partner school, Lindblom Math and Science Academy.
Concordia Language Villages
In summer of 2011, QFI established a partnership with Concordia Language Villages. 31 youth from 20 different schools attended 2 or 4-week sessions at Al Waha, the Arabic Language Village.
QFI / WeVideo Behind the Scenes
The video that launched SXSW Film, highlighting QFI student filmmakers who collaborated on short water films.
QFI Celebrates Foreign Language Week
QFI's Executive Director speaks about the importance of learning another language.
BtoQ Compilation Video
Check out all five "Brazil to Qatar" National Geographic student videos in one compilation.
"Women" during the BtoQ Exchange
Brazilian and Qatari students worked with National Geographic instructors during the Brazil to Qatar exchange to create a short piece on women.
"People and Nature" during the BtoQ Exchange
Brazilian and Qatari students worked with National Geographic instructors during the Brazil to Qatar exchange to create a short piece on people and nature.
Behind the Scenes at Brazil to Qatar: One World, Many Stories
A behind the scenes look at the #BtoQ exchange program that brought 22 high school students from Brazil to meet their counterparts in Qatar.
From Chicago to Doha: Connecting Cultures, Exploring Science
Learn about students from Chicago's Lindblom Math and Science Academy who went on QFI's exchange trip to Qatar.
Chicago2Doha Media Projects
39 students from 3 schools in Chicago and Qatar came together for the Connecting Cultures, Exploring Science trip. Students told their reflections of the trip through images, video and sound.
Glass Blowing at Chihuly's Studio: YALLAH 2011
QFI students in Seattle as part of the YALLAH cultural exchange trip in 2011 were invited to world-renowned glass blower Dale Chihuly's studio.
Sir Richard Branson speaks to Earth Day Qatar 2011
Earth Day Qatar 2011 was the premier event in the region, featuring speakers, discussions, workshops, and a special video message by Sir Richard Branson.
Meet our Brazilian students
Arabic Language and Culture in Sao Paolo - meet the Brazilian students and administrators of this program.
Crossing the divide
Watch as students from QFI partner schools in Washington DC and Boston tell their story of language learning and cultural exchange.
Our mission and the astrolabe
With its rich and varied history, the Astrolabe represents education, science, innovation and diversity. Highlighted in this video, these values underscore QFI's vision and programs.
QFI alumni students present at FIKR 9 conference
A diverse group of Arab and American students have been invited to highlight their youth-led initiative, YALLAH, on bridging cultures at the Arab Thought Foundation’s 9th annual FIKR conference this year.
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