In 2013, a group of students traveled all the way to Costa Rica for GIN. These students prepared a conference around the topic of education which they considered to be an essential aspect in a person’s life which ultimately influences their development as proactive citizens. Alongside this, TCS students talked about their experience in the Amazon with an indigenous community, and how they donated a series of school supply kits to promote education in communities with fewer resources.

About eight years ago, GIN, which stands for Global Issues Network, began to develop at TCS. GIN became a platform where students come together to discuss and propose solutions to social and ecological problems. GIN empowers teens between the ages of 11 and 18 to unite towards one goal.

What is GIN?

As stated by Sofia Molina a TCS alumni, “GIN hosts conferences in different cities and schools, and it gives the opportunities for teens in other countries to visit that city and connect with students around America and discuss different global issues.”

GIN has not only been a way to learn about the problems in our environment, but it also has allowed teenagers who share the same mentality to interact with each other. Different conferences are held all around the world, all with a main goal: to make the world a better place.

“They generate an intelligent goal, a plan of action, and make a plan of awareness and achievement of sustainable resources to help that particular community. That’s the way the problem is resolved,” said Luz Miryam Arango, eighth grade social studies teacher who’s highly involved in this program.

GIN has also allowed students to think further ahead, brainstorm long-term solutions and project themselves as future leaders in our society. These teenagers are the ones in charge of solving global issues in global environments. They not only think about the problems in terms of their community, but in global and large-scale terms.

As stated by Tatiana Botero, an 11th grade TCS student , “Our school has made a lot of changes in their structures and activities that have helped the school become more sustainable.”

At TCS, improvement can be seen by the use of the greenhouse and the prohibition of plastic bottles. This does not only reduce the amount of plastic but also drives students to make changes to their everyday lifestyle habits. Not using plastic at school promotes the habit of reducing plastic usage altogether, in all aspects of a person’s life.

“This has allowed to create networks amongst different schools in different countries, in which ideas can be exchanged, in order for us to adopt the solutions others are coming up with and for us to show the world what we have done in our school to solve the global issues we face,” said Carlos Loaiza, TCS alumni.

Impacting lives

The program is constantly encouraging students to apply their entrepreneurial skills into finding innovative ways to solve the problems in our community. GIN’s goal is to transform both the world and students’ lives.

“As part of the alumni, GIN helped shape the person I am today, because most of all, GIN helps students realize their potential as agents of change, and that what we do does matter and does make a difference,” stated Loaiza.

Not only current GIN members have reasons for why this program has affected their lives, but also the ones who have been part of it before. This experience is something that they will remember throughout their lives.

“I am proud of [my students]. I feel that there are two types of students: those who are GINers and those who are not. Those who are not GINers aren’t necessarily uninterested citizens but they do not have the awareness, they have not had the opportunity to learn. Those who are GINers are students who are able to say ‘I can transform my own life,’” stated Arango.

There can be a clear distinction between those students who have been part of GIN and the ones who haven’t. Their perspective on the world changes completely, and this program opens their eyes. Gaining the skills to become a great leader and influencer can be the main reward of being part of GIN yet these students also have the opportunity to travel the world for different conferences.

“I was able to go to the GIN conferences in San José, Costa Rica and Monterrey, Mexico. It is without any doubt a life-changing experience. You get to interact with hundreds of people from all over the world that care about saving the world as much as you do, and you meet many inspiring people that are doing amazing things and learn about incredible projects that could be implemented in your own school and community,” stated Loaiza.

Its future  

GIN has been an ongoing program that’s had clear success. It has raised awareness all over communities in the world, helping those in need, which makes this a program worthy of growth and expansion.

“GIN’s objective is to gain more supporters, more students and especially institutions in the local network. It is basically our duty to teach other public and private institutions in the city to have a GIN mindset,” said Arango.

This program is destined to grow as more global issues are arising everyday. It is clear that the world is deteriorating day to day, but these young students are a sign of hope. They are on the road to becoming resilient and creative leaders capable of undertaking any challenge despite its difficulty.

“[GIN] empowers the youth to take steps to a more sustainable environment,” said Molina.