Global Citizenship Convention 2025
Global Citizenship hands-on
Our annual Global Citizenship Convention equips participants of the Global Citizenship Learning Program with tools and resources to promote global citizenship as a collective response to today’s global challenges. In 2025, we’ll gather in Jena, Germany, where program participants, Melton Fellows, partners, and collaborators will come together to explore, exchange, and co-create solutions to pressing issues.
Global Citizenship Learning Program
The Global Citizenship Learning Program is a 10-month experiential journey designed to empower young changemakers with the mindset, skills, and global community to drive impactful, sustainable change.Through immersive learning activities, hands-on projects, guided mentorship and intercultural peer learning, participants work collaboratively on pressing global issues aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Throughout the program, participants develop critical 21st-century skills such as systems thinking, collective leadership, project management, storytelling for impact and more. They gain a deeper sense of self-awareness and cultural fluency that equips them to nurture change both in their local communities and in global spaces.
The in-person highlight of the program is the Global Citizenship Convention, a dynamic, week-long gathering where program participants, Melton Fellows, and global partners come together to exchange diverse perspectives, co-create solutions, and bring global citizenship to life through shared learning and action.
Meet the Faces of Global Citizenship!
Discover the inspiring participants of the Global Citizenship Learning Program — young changemakers collaborating across borders to drive real-world impact. At the heart of the program is the Global Citizenship Convention (GCC), where Fellows gather in person to connect, co-create, and bring global citizenship to life.
Global Citizenship Convention 2025
Guided by the theme Connect, Empower, and Transform, the 2025 Global Citizenship Convention in Jena, Germany, will bring together Melton Fellows from across the world to build bridges across cultures, empower communities through collaborative learning, and co-create solutions that drive meaningful, lasting impact. As the vital in-person component of the Melton Foundation’s Global Citizenship Learning Program, this fully funded Convention offers Fellows a rare and powerful opportunity to translate their virtual learnings into real-world action.
Set in the vibrant academic and cultural hub of Jena, the Convention will serve as a dynamic space for dialogue, innovation, and collective action, rooted in the principles of global citizenship. Through immersive workshops, cross-cultural exchange, and on-the-ground collaboration, participants will not only deepen their understanding of global issues but also cultivate the skills, relationships, and perspectives needed to lead change in their communities and beyond.
Jena – A Global Citizenship Hub Steeped in History and Innovation
Nestled in the heart of Germany, Jena is a city where tradition meets technology. Known for its cutting-edge industries, Jena is home to over 16,000 professionals working in high-tech companies and innovation-driven services, making it a dynamic hub of scientific and technological advancement.
The Melton Foundation is proud to have a long-standing partnership with Friedrich Schiller University Jena, one of Germany’s most prestigious academic institutions. Melton Fellows from Jena have played a pivotal role in shaping our global community.
We are delighted to return to Jena this year, hosted once again by our generous Fellows and partners, to celebrate collaboration, learning, and global citizenship in a city that continues to inspire it.
Official Partner and Host for the GCC2025 – Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Friedrich Schiller University Jena, founded in 1558, stands as one of Germany’s most historic and prestigious institutions—renowned for its commitment to academic excellence, interdisciplinary research, and global collaboration. As a proud partner of the Melton Foundation for over 30 years, the university has played a key role in shaping generations of global citizens. In 2025, it serves as the host of the Global Citizenship Convention, bringing the spirit of global cooperation to life with the support of an enthusiastic Campus Task Team, dedicated Coordinator, and the inspiring Melton Fellows from the Jena campus.
Goals of the Global Citizenship Convention 2025
A transformative week that will broaden horizons and connect our vibrant network. We celebrate our shared purpose, the strength of collaboration, and the excitement of building a world where Global Citizenship and the UN Sustainable Development Goals become the reality we were shaping together.
Connect
At the heart of the Convention is connection, across cultures, disciplines, and perspectives. GCLP participants, melton fellows and partners come together to exchange ideas, build bridges, and form meaningful collaborations that transcend borders.
Empower
Through workshops, dialogues, and immersive experiences, participants gain tools and insights to deepen their understanding of self as well as global challenges and strengthen their capacity to nurture change in their communities and beyond.
Transform
The GCC sparks transformation—of mindsets, approaches, and impact. As participants return home, they carry forward renewed purpose, actionable ideas, and a shared commitment to building a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.
Senior Fellow Coaches and Project Hosts
Henrika Amoafo
(Project Host)
Arun Josephraj
(Coach)
Chiranthi Senanayake
(Coach)
Constant Odounfa
(Project Host)
Hannah Zhou
(Coach)
Camila Farías Hidalgo
(Coach)
Satyam
(Project Host)
Shivangi Jain
(Coach)
2025 Convention Projects
Bridging the Digital Gap with Constant
This project reinforces the impact of Batonga Foundation's intervention on Benin and Senegal's hardest to reach women communities. Participants will work on creating a tech platform that centralizes information on financial empowerment using digital and AI tools as well as market opportunities available locally and globally. The platform will also include a repository of training tools that are available online for women to be informed about health, education or new solutions that can be useful for them in ensuring their economic empowerment as well as safety and security in deeply patriarchal regions.
The Sanaa Initiative with Henrika
The Sanaa Initiative responds to the burnout, isolation, and knowledge gaps local artists often face, offering creative tools for connection, healing, and transformation. It’s about making space for artists and changemakers to reflect, collaborate, and reimagine narratives of care, justice, and the sustainability of their practice. Through this project participants will work on a digital, shareable guide with story prompts, workshop templates, tools for socially engaged art and curate a Hybrid Exhibition – A virtual showcase + local activations that reflect artistic transformation and global collaboration.
Edcetera with Satyam: AI & Equity
AI is transforming the future of work, but those already marginalized by caste, class, gender, or disability risk being left further behind. Early, inclusive access is essential. There is an urgent need to design an equitable AI and tech education curriculum for under-resourced schools. Participants will be working on identifying gaps in AI and Tech literacy programs, researching best practices in equitable tech education and developing a curriculum framework with intersectional learning goals on AI and Tech Literacy to be used in India and beyond.
Take a look back!
Take a look at our past Global Citizenship Conventions and relive the energy, connection, and impact!