New York, NY – (August 20, 2009) – The road from poverty to the podium at the United Nations has been a long one for 11 youth leaders supported by Children International, a Kansas City-based humanitarian organization.  To view video, visithttp://www.prnewsire.com/mnr/childreninternational/39764/. 

The teens from Latin America, India, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States live in extreme poverty but that didn’t stop them from participating in the United Nations’ 6^th Annual Youth Assembly on August 5-7, 2009.  The theme of the assembly was “Committing Youth Leadership to the Millennium Development Goals” and it was attended by over 700 youth from around the world.

The teens took an active role in the Assembly by demonstrating their solutions to overcoming the hurdles of living in extreme poverty…

• Karen Galindo from Honduras was selected as a plenary speaker.

• Three teens conducted a workshop on youth leadership training.

• Finally, Virginia Morales of Guatemala won an Outstanding Youth Achievement Award for her micro-enterprise projects.

All 11 teens belong to a group of over 135,000 teens from Children International’s Youth Program. The program addresses the issues facing teens living in poverty around the world – including making healthy lifestyle decisions, early pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, and gang violence, among others.

Jim Cook, Children International President and CEO said, “Children International is very proud of all our youth. They have overcome the hurdles that keep many of their peers trapped in poverty. They have such bright futures, and will be a great force of change in their communities.”

To learn more about the sponsored teens attending the 6^th Annual Youth Assembly, visit International Youth Day 2009. To learn more about Children International’s Youth Program, visit the2009 Youth Report Card.

To learn more about sponsoring a child, visit www.children.org.

About Children International:

Established in 1936, Children International is a nonprofit organization with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Children International’s programs benefit over 325,000 poor children and their families in 11 countries around the world, including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States. To sponsor a child living in poverty, visit www.children.org today. To read more news about Children International, visit the Newsroom.

About Children International’s Youth Programs:

Children International’s Youth Programs have more than 135,000 members around the world. The Youth Programs provide youth from 12 to 19 years of age a positive environment in which to grow. The programs also provide youth a safe place to gather with their friends, as well as constructive activities to empower them to become leaders in their communities. Members democratically elect a youth council with the intention of solving social, cultural and economic problems. 

Dolores Kitchin, (816) 943-3730