Global Citizens Initiative

One of the best parts of traveling is getting to reconnect with members of the GCI community from around the world. We are so grateful for these moments with alumni, parents, and longtime friends of GCI!

This year, GCI is proud to introduce the Alumni Impact Award, which honors an Alumnus of the Fellowship whose leadership, service, or professional work has translated into meaningful, enduring change.

Across our community, we see Alumni:

• Building organizations and initiatives
• Leading in their career fields
• Creating opportunities for others
• Addressing challenges in thoughtful and lasting ways

This impact is making a real difference in the world, and we want to recognize those who are leading it.

We invite you to take part in this process by submitting a nomination for the Impact Award, whether it’s for an Alum whose work you admire, or for your own work as an Alum! Anyone from the GCI community is welcome to submit a nomination. This is a chance to lift up the incredible people and kinds of work that are actively creating meaningful change.

Nominations are open through Friday, June 5, 2026: www.globalci.org/gci-alumni-impact-award

The selected recipient will be recognized at the GCI Alumni Celebratory Gala this October at the Harvard Club of New York City, and will receive a commemorative plaque and $1,000 cash prize in recognition of their work.

As GCI enters its next chapter, we invite you to read a message from our Founder, Yumi Kuwana, and join us at the Celebratory Gala on Friday, October 9, in New York City to mark this milestone.

Tickets for the Gala can be purchased online at www.globalci.org, or using the link in our bio.

A few members of the GCI community came together in the North Carolina Triangle this week for a small but meaningful dinner gathering! We love when our Alumni are able to reconnect in this way beyond the Summit and Fellowship; it’s an important part of what keeps the GCI community strong. We’re looking forward to more small Alumni gatherings around the world throughout the rest of this year.

These wonderful moments of connection will carry into our larger gathering in New York City at the Harvard Club on Friday, October 9, from 6:00-11:00 PM, at the GCI Alumni Celebratory Gala. This event is open to ALL members of the community. Tickets are available on our website. We can’t wait to have you join us for this milestone celebration!

www.globalci.org

This year, we are bringing our Alumni Reunion and Gala events together into one unified Celebratory Gala to create a single, powerful moment for our global community to reconnect and look ahead. We invite ALL members and supporters of the GCI community to join us on Friday, October 9, 2026, at the Harvard Club of New York City as we gather to celebrate the strength, spirit, and worldwide impact of Global Citizens Initiative.

​The Celebratory Gala is more than a dinner; it’s a moment to pause and honor every part of GCI’s journey. Alumni, parents, friends, and supporters will come together under one roof to share stories, spark new connections, and celebrate the leaders who continue to carry GCI’s mission into the world. Set against the backdrop of one of New York City’s most historic venues, we’ll hear inspiring reflections from across our community and share in conversations that highlight the lasting impact of the GCI community.​​

Whether you joined us at the Summit years ago or have supported GCI from afar, this is your invitation to step into the larger story we are building together and to toast to what’s ahead.

Gala Details:

• Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
• Time: 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM
• Location: Harvard Club of NYC (35 West 44th Street, New York, NY)

Tickets and financial travel support are now available! To get started, visit the following link: www.globalci.org/gci-alumni-celebratory-gala.

GSP Spotlight: 2024 GCI Fellow launched the Nagano Harvest Project at UWC ISAK Japan, a campus-wide initiative addressing food systems, sustainability, and community wellbeing. The project responded to a lack of shared community spaces and limited awareness of how dining environments and food systems affect both human and planetary health.

One of the project’s most impactful initiatives has been the organization of on-campus farmers’ markets featuring surplus “ugly produce” from local farmers. In Japan, strict cosmetic standards often lead to perfectly edible fruits and vegetables being discarded. By creating a space for farmers to sell this surplus directly to the school community, the project reduced waste and increased access to locally grown food. Over the course of one summer vegetable market and four autumn apple markets, the community sold more than 150 kilograms of apples.

Aya continues to serve as a Student Council Dining Representative and currently advises the cafeteria expansion committee. As she prepares for final examinations and the transition to college, she is in the process of passing the project on to junior students. Future plans include creating internship opportunities with local farms and ensuring the project continues as a long-term, student-led CAS initiative.

Last week, a small group of GCI Alumni gathered in New York City for a mini reunion dinner at Carmine’s! We spent the time catching up and hearing about how everyone’s journey has evolved since their time in the Fellowship. Thank you to everyone who joined us and made the evening so meaningful. We can’t wait to continue these conversations at the upcoming Global Alumni Reunion & Gala in October!

To learn more about the October Reunion & Gala, visit the following link: www.globalci.org/2026globalreunion

Leadership isn’t just authority; it’s judgment, values, and the decisions we make when it matters most. This Alumni-only GCI Fireside Chat is designed to support GCI Alumni as they navigate leadership beyond the Fellowship in their studies, careers, communities, and personal lives. Join us for a virtual conversation with Seung Paik, author of Leadernomics, as we hear about and discuss how economic thinking can serve as a steady guide through complexity, tradeoffs, and change.

The chat will take place on Friday, February 13, 2026, at 10:00 AM ET over Zoom. GCI Alumni and Fellows can register to attend the session using the following link: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/11cT-E4pSUurdTKOE6Egfw

🔗 www.globalci.org