GLOBAL SCHOLARS, GLOBAL CITIZENS: THE 2026 INAUGURAL ALUMNI CONVENING
44 ALUMNI. 9 cities. 7 COUNTRIES. ONE POWERFUL PROOF OF CONCEPT.
For the first time in Global Scholars history, alumni gathered in person—not as middle school students exchanging ideas across borders through virtual exchange, but as young adults ready to demonstrate that global competency learning lasts.
The inaugural alumni convening, Global Scholars, Global Citizens, assembled 44 alumni and 12 educators of the Global Scholars program from April 26–28, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. They came from Boston/Medford, Catalonia, Hawai’i, Madrid, Paris, Taipei, Tbilisi, Toronto, and Warsaw—some traveling more than 22 hours—to celebrate, learn, and prove that the skills and outlook they developed as 10- to 13-year-olds have shaped who they are today.
Global Cities, Inc., a program of Bloomberg Philanthropies, hosted the convening, bringing together a small representation of the tens of thousands of young people who have participated in Global Scholars with a few of the pioneering educators who made it possible.
This event marked a new chapter for Global Scholars: engaging with alumni directly to demonstrate that the program’s impact extends far beyond the middle school classroom and reconnecting this group of young leaders with one another for ongoing collaboration on today’s critical issues.
amplifying alumni impact
In Madrid, Global Cities announced the creation of the Global Scholars Alumni Network, a forum to connect and sustain the tremendous potential of alumni as they launch careers and continue to lead in their communities.
“Global Scholars isn't a one-year program, but a lifelong experience and international network,” said Ray Liu, a Global Scholars alumnus from Taipei, echoing the sentiment behind these new efforts to engage alumni in an ongoing way.
All Global Scholars alumni age 18 or older are invited to apply to the alumni network; please fill out this contact form to express interest.
Global Cities also announced the establishment of the Global Scholars Alumni Leadership Awards. The awards, including cash prizes, will be given every year or so to Global Scholars Alumni Network members with records of environmental commitment and activism, collaborative effort to address community issues, and reaching across political or cultural boundaries to promote the common good.
“The efforts that the awards recognize are truly essential,” said Marjorie B. Tiven, President and Founder of Global Cities, Inc. “These awards will recognize efforts necessary for today’s cities to flourish. Our cities need the active participation of young people who can innovate and collaborate across differences – just what we set out to teach through Global Scholars.”
“we need you now”
The convening opened Sunday evening as alumni and educators reconnected across the borders they'd first crossed virtually years earlier. As they networked, alumni shared how their time in Global Scholars continues to influence them, from their choice of college major to their perspective on international affairs.
For instance, Dennis Gavriline, a computer software engineer from Toronto, said: “I work with people from various backgrounds and they all bring very interesting solutions to the table that I may not have thought of myself. And being able to work in a way that allows me to hear their perspectives and collaborate with them to incorporate their ideas into some of the projects we're working on together is an incredible skill that I was able to learn very early on.”
Dr. Robert C. Orr, Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy and Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Climate Change, set the stakes for the gathering: "You are all living proof that not only middle school students do indeed grow up, but that it also matters greatly what the educational experience and the personal experience of young children are at that very formative age."
His message to alumni was direct: "We need global leaders with a global mindset…You are not just fine young people. You are not our future, either. You're our present. We need you, and we need you now."
Marjorie Tiven reminded participants why global and community engagement matters. "At a time when too many countries are turning inward, and longstanding alliances are under strain, our work offers a different vision—one rooted in our experience that when we work together, and appreciate each other, we recognize our shared responsibility and can solve difficult global problems."
Experiencing Urban Design at Madrid Río
On Monday, participants boarded buses for a field trip to Madrid Río, the award-winning linear park built over a buried highway along the Manzanares River.
Professor Gabriel Hernández of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid guided participants through the transformation of the public space and the collaborative design process that made it possible. Participants connected this to the design process they had used themselves as Global Scholars, gathering data from community members about issues such as climate change and food insecurity before developing inclusive solutions.
Professor Ester Fuchs of Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs framed the visit around civic engagement: "We have to figure out what we have in common so we can move forward together to create a public good."
the design challenge: proof of concept
In the afternoon, alumni and educators split into groups for an interactive design challenge. Alumni teams tackled a prompt about involving young people in urban problem-solving, while educators explored how to strengthen global competency instruction.
Alumni then presented their ideas, many in a second, third, or even fourth language, collaborating with peers they may have only just met that morning.
"All of you here today are proof of concept," Professor Fuchs said in her closing remarks. "Global Scholars alumni have demonstrated that middle school kids can learn global competency, and that what you learned sticks. It's in your DNA now."
Alumni Voices: "A Tipping Point"
Throughout the convening, alumni reflected on how Global Scholars shaped their paths.
Pin-Yu Yao, a political science major at National Taiwan University, recalled how the program influenced her decision to major in political science. "[It] helped me realize my voice matters in global issues,” she said. “Global Scholars gave me the vision; political science is giving me the tools."
Eric Gee, a finance and international business student at the University of Hawaii, observed, "It's been interesting to meet other alumni. Every person I've talked to here has said that Global Scholars was a tipping point in their life that drove them to where they are today."
Amelia Sadowska, a second year Masters student in the Faculty of Law and Administration program at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, said, “Growing up doing the Global Scholars Project, I gained a sense of justice for different people and for people from different situations and the ability to put myself in their shoes.”
Celebrating Together
Monday evening, participants gathered for a closing celebration. Montserrat Montagut, Head of the Foreign and Heritage Languages Service at the Department of Education and Professional Training at the Government of Catalonia, delivered the keynote address on the theme of Global Scholars, Global Citizens. “We don’t need more self-centered leaders,” she challenged the audience. “Today’s world needs people like you - critical, empathetic, and globally competent.”
Before departing Madrid, many alumni and educators attended the opening plenary of the international Bloomberg CityLab conference. There, they saw their Global Scholars experience reflected as city leaders from around the world discussed approaches to shared urban challenges, and Bloomberg Philanthropies CEO Patti Harris announced the expansion of the Youth Climate Action Fund to 300 new cities. The Fund helps city halls around the world to work alongside hundreds of thousands of young residents ages 15-24 to take action on city climate challenges and improve their communities.
Looking Ahead
Since 2014, nearly 140,000 students from 126 cities in 39 countries have participated in Global Scholars. The Global Scholars Alumni Network will provide a digital forum to keep collaboration going, helping participants tackle new challenges with their shared history of listening, collaborating, and taking action.
“Living day-to-day life, you wouldn't think that there's someone out there that's still thinking about what you did in middle school,” said Klaudia Lewandowska, an alumna from Warsaw. “To feel like it's important still is a very great feeling to have.”
Reflecting on the reunion, Raphaël Michielsen-Dumaine, a student from Paris, said that opportunity to reconnect across different backgrounds and geographies will continue to guide the alumni. “We are living in a very polarized world,” he said, “so I think this type of collaboration is important to build a sustainable future for everyone.”
Hear from more Global Scholars student alumni here.
All Global Scholars alumni interested in applying to the Global Scholars Alumni Network, please fill out this contact form.