2019-20 grantee partner iFLY Youth is one of the international youth travel organizations featured in Condé Nast Traveler about the global pandemic’s impact on their programming:

“This is the first time many of them have gotten on a plane,” says iFLY Youth Executive Director Cidney King. The three-year-old organization works with Black and brown middle school girls in the Washington, D.C., area. After reviewing teacher recommendations, grades, and class conduct, iFLY Youth selects 20 out of 44 students, and meets with the girls twice a month to prepare them for the trip with tips on packing, security, and other travel essentials. Donations and grants fund airfare, lodging, programming, and meals, though each student also has to raise $800 to offset some of those costs.

…“With travel halted, the nonprofits are looking at ways to continue their missions with virtual career exploration days and fundraisers. But as the pandemic continues to ravage the U.S. and other countries, they fear that funding international travel will be low priority for some donors.”

Read the article here.

iFLY Youth’s mission is to produce the next generation of global leaders by exposing middle school aged girls of color to international travel, leadership development, character building and community service.

As a result of the global pandemic, iFLY Youth had to cancel their annual fundraiser and summer 2020 trip to Italy.

Learn more about iFLY Youth and support their work at https://ifly-youth.org/.