iFLY Youth

Our Work:

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, and character building. We envision a world where all girls regardless of background or circumstance feel empowered and have the opportunity to explore, unite and learn from others around the globe. We prioritize middle school-aged girls who normally wouldn't have the opportunity to travel due to financial restraints. 

Since 2017, we have provided middle school girls from the Greater Washington Area the chance to explore and learn through travel.  Our inaugural class of 10 iFLY Scholars traveled to Costa Rica in June 2018, where they harvested cacao, discovered wildlife in the rain forest, volunteered at an orphanage and practiced their Spanish skills throughout the local community. At the conclusion of the program, six students finished the school year with a 3.5 GPA or higher and three of the 8th-grade students were accepted into selective high schools in DC. The second class of Scholars traveled to Cartagena, Colombia in June 2019. 

For more information about our work, please visit our website at www.ifly-youth.org and follow us on social media @iflyyouth. 

What's New with iFLY Youth:

This summer, we launched our first-ever summer camp! The camp consisted of a 3-week day camp in Washington D.C. and concluded with a 1-week trip abroad to Costa Rica. We had 15 students from Maryland and Washington D.C. participate in our program. After not being able to travel for two years due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, we are very proud of our endeavors this summer. Through our brand new curriculum, our students engaged in self-esteem-building activities gained leadership skills and broadened their cultural knowledge. 

Student Reflection:

All students that participate in our program create a project to capture and reflect on their experience in our program. You can check out Madison's project below to learn more about her iFLY experience this summer.