IVECA Launches the 2025 Global Youth Mentorship Program

On Monday, November 3, 2025, IVECA welcomed youth mentors to  the 2025 Global Youth Mentorship Program (iGYMP) through an engaging online orientation. The orientation session connected U.S. university student mentors from diverse backgrounds to begin an inspiring seven-week journey centered on “Inclusive STEAM Solutions for Global Impact.”

The session was filled with energy as mentors met the IVECA team and were introduced to IVECA’s vision of nurturing interculturally competent global citizens who work together for peace and sustainable development. They learned how their participation would open doors for meaningful collaboration with high school students from South Korea and India. The session guided mentors through the program’s flow and expectations; from n, mentors discovered the flow of the program., From friendly exchanges of self-introductions and perspectives to project presentations,  the mentors will serve as role models, providing constructive feedback to inspire and motivate students and fostering a shared celebration of learning and cultural understanding.

Under the STEAM umbrella, they will explore creative ways to address global challenges connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6, 7, 9, 11, and 17. The focus is not just on solving problems, but on doing so through imagination, empathy, and collaboration, where science meets art, and technology meets compassion. Over the coming weeks, mentors and students will collaborate to design inclusive STEAM projects that reflect both creativity and compassion. Their ideas, shaped through teamwork and dialogue, may even reach the United Nations stage, where young voices continue to inspire solutions for global challenges.

The session highlighted that the mentors’ role goes far beyond guiding; it is about inspiring, connecting, and learning together. Dr. Eunhee Jung shared that global citizenship begins with a sense of belonging to an interconnected global community. This awareness nurtures empathy toward others by recognizing our shared challenges while also valuing each person’s unique perspective and contribution. Through iGYMP, mentors and students are invited to see the world not as separate nations, but as one diverse community working toward a better tomorrow. Each exchange between mentors and mentees will become an opportunity to listen, to understand, and to co-create ideas that can make a real difference in local communities, building our global future.  

Reflecting the shared excitement of things to come, one mentor aptly expressed their anticipation saying, “I’m excited to begin this journey with you all, experiencing other cultures and broadening my perspective. I’m very excited to learn from you all and the students, too.” The 2025 Global Youth Mentorship Program sets in motion another memorable chapter in IVECA’s mission, reminding us that when young minds and open hearts meet across cultures, learning becomes transformation, and every step taken together becomes a step toward a more peaceful and sustainable world.

#IVECA #GlobalCitizenship #InterculturalLearning #VirtualExchange #SDGs #iGYMP #YouthEmpowerment #CulturalExchange #GCED #Mentorship