Youth STEM Matters Co-Founder Anne-Rosa Bilal Named Global Teen Leader by Nile Rodgers’ We Are Family Foundation
Today, We Are Family Foundation revealed their 2022 Three Dot Dash Global Teen Leaders (GTLs), and we’re thrilled to share that amongst them is our very own Youth STEM Matters Co-Founder, Anne-Rosa Bilal!
This year, 34 incredible young people based in 23 countries across 5 continents were selected as Global Teen Leaders from over 500 applicants for their work to address the world’s most pressing challenges, and address one or more basic human needs (such as education, environment or water). Anne-Rosa has been recognised for her incredible work as Co-Founder and Managing Editor of Youth STEM Matters, and the opportunities in STEM and sustainability education our youth-led scientific journal has created for young people around the world.
Through their Global Teen Leaders awards, We Are Family Foundation - founded by American Singer Nile Rodgers in response to the 9/11 attacks - has enabled the world’s most influential young changemakers to access a global network bringing together other GTLs, mentors, industry leaders, and policy makers from across the world.
On finding out that she had been selected as a Global Teen Leader, Anne-Rosa shared her reaction:
“I’m delighted! It’s an absolute joy to be able to represent Youth STEM Matters as a Global Teen Leader and I was so thrilled to know I had been selected - especially as part of such an amazing cohort of young changemakers. This will not only support me in growing to a better leader in Youth STEM Matters, but also in society, and will mean I can pass on all my experience to other young people out there who know they want to get involved (or may not know yet!) with STEM & research - they need to know that their voices matter, and that their impact makes a real difference. It will be a challenge - one I sure hope to rise up to - for I want us to aim high, achieve our goals, and get as many young people involved with STEM & research as possible. Of course, none of this would be possible without the amazing team of volunteers, authors, and readers of Youth STEM Matters, whom I want to thank, and especially Mhairi who has helped me so much, in more ways than one.”
By being selected as a Global Teen Leader, Anne-Rosa will access exclusive opportunities to grow as a global changemaker, including attending this year’s Three Dot Dash Just Peace Summit - a virtual event which will bring together this year’s Global Teen Leaders to “tool-up and recalibrate through innovative content and action-driven workshops geared to help further amplify their work and impact”. Anne-Rosa will also be paired with a mentor, an influential expert or industry leader who has been carefully matched specifically to align with her goals, enabling Anne-Rosa to take her impact at Youth STEM Matters to new levels.
Anne-Rosa continued, sharing her current thoughts and ambitions for taking Youth STEM Matters’ impact to the next level:
“Three ways I’ve been seriously evaluating so far to start setting in motion. I want us to be able to advance massively with regards to building the skillset of our volunteers (especially in terms of leadership), attract & engage with more young people from more and more countries around the world by initiating community-tailored events to get them proactively involved in research & STEM, as well as increasing our footprint in the research community and being at the forefront of open-access scientific publishing - together, with careful planning, strategy, dedication and thought!”
Having acted as Anne-Rosa’s nominator as a Three Dot Dash Coalition Partner, Youth STEM 2030 Founder & CEO Mhairi McCann shared her reaction to Anne-Rosa’s achievement:
“I’m so thrilled for Anne-Rosa! Being selected as a Global Teen Leader is an absolute testament to the hard work she’s put in as one of Youth STEM Matters’ Co-Founders. So much of the impact we’ve created by building Youth STEM Matters as a platform for youth to share their research, ideas & innovations - while providing STEM and sustainability education for youth globally - wouldn’t have been possible without her leadership, and passion for youth in research and innovation. Over the past 2 years since we launched Youth STEM Matters, I’ve seen Anne-Rosa grow as a changemaker and leader, and know that the support offered to her as a Global Teen Leader will enable her to continue growing as a leader, and make an even greater impact at Youth STEM Matters and beyond.”
We Are Family Foundation’s Co-Founders, Nile Rodgers and Nancy Hunt, had this to say about the 2022 Global Teen Leaders:
“The world is in a very dangerous place – environmentally, economically, politically, combined with systemic inequity and injustice permeating throughout. We need global cooperation to effectively address these issues, and we need to look to our global youth for their ideas, solutions and actions to save our planet. They don’t believe in the word “NO”. They believe that anything is possible, and they ACT on it. We are honored to bring the 2022 Global Teen Leaders (GTLs) into our WAFF community of hundreds of GTL Alumni and Mentors. Working independently and in collaboration across borders and cultures the GTLs remain our hope for the now, and the future. We remain grateful to our partners, SAP and Susan Rockefeller for continuing to believe in the power of our global youth.”
Huge congratulations to Anne-Rosa on being selected as a Global Teen Leader! We’re so proud of what you’ve achieved so far and can’t wait to see what you’ll accomplish next with We Are Family Foundation’s support!
Congratulations to all of the 2022 Global Teen Leaders! Meet them, and find out more about the Three Dot Dash programme on We Are Family Foundation’s website.
