Bright Light Volunteers

Mira quienes están en San Diego!

All things Colombian being celebrated at Balboa Park today! 🇨🇴💙 ✈️

We invite you to take part in this unique opportunity to with this exclusive travel opportunity available to our San Diego World Affairs Council community! Learn more about our Citizen Diplomacy Delegation travel opportunities here: https://sdwac.org/Travel-with-SDWAC!

We'll be at the Casa De Col in Balboa Park tomorrow. Stop by to learn more!

We are excited to partner with the San Diego World Affairs Council (SDWAC) to offer this unique opportunity to to in 2025!

Embark on a journey of a lifetime while connecting with like-minded professionals and immerse yourself in a travel program that allows you to practice citizen diplomacy first hand. This unique travel opportunity takes you from Bogota to Cartagena and includes opportunities for in-depth cultural immersion through guided tours, interactive cooking lessons, private lectures, a community service initiative and much more!

Check out the website to learn more details and register for the unique travel opportunity! https://tinyurl.com/3d6dwyte

Have you participated in a program that changed your life? This Global Impact Challenge is calling all alumni to share their stories of positive change! Deadline extended to July 31st! We can't wait to see the amazing stories our program participants have to share!!! https://forms.gle/yMLBpQTsGv2hRNUc9

Big shout out to my newest top fans! 💎

Maria Elena Miqueli

Drop a comment to welcome them to our community,

Board member annual meeting and retreat this week in sunny ! It’s a great team from around the country working to make world a brighter place by providing educational service opportunities that foster the development of global leaders and citizens! makes the 😎

Today is Day of Action!

On and around June 21, thousands of people across the globe take action to improve their communities by volunteering with United Way. United Way creates meaningful volunteering opportunities that make it easy for people to tackle community problems.

So very grateful to be able to sponsor this special event with the Fazili family - featured in the documentary, "Midnight Traveler" hosted by San Diego World Affairs Council (SDWAC) and the Digital Gym Cinema located at UCSD's Park & Market.

For those that haven't seen the film, it is available on Amazon Prime. Shot entirely on three smart phones, it recounts the real life story of Fatima Hussaini, Hassan Fazili and their two young daughters as they fled from the Taliban in Afghanistan. It is both heartbreaking and uplifting - a demonstration of the strength of family to overcome hardship and remain hopeful that they will have a new place to call home.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead

Today we'd like to celebrate Cade Besnard from Chico, California - Global Citizen extraordinaire! He has a long history of volunteering with several organizations - Bright Light Volunteers , Interact Club, Key Club , the California Scholastic Federation, Athlete Committed, Operation Christmas Child, and
Empty Bowls (an event to provide support for homeless). This young man has made service to others a core component of his life. He most recently volunteered in Guatemala on a project to construct schools by upcycling plastic water bottle waste- both an educational and environmental effort. This kid's heart is on fire with the desire to give back and make an impact in many communities- at home and abroad. We celebrate him as an example of a student truly making the world a brighter, better place for all! Congrats, Cade, for being awarded the prestigious Presidential Volunteer Service Award!!!! 🌏 🤩 💚

Summer months bring long days, warm weather, school vacations – and great opportunities for kids to serve and families, camps, and youth groups to plan projects together.

Here's a that you and your students can participate in this summer: https://www.weareteachers.com/memorial-day-activities/

is coming up on June 8th and catalyzes collective action for a healthy ocean and a stable climate. Powered by the World Ocean Day Youth Advisory Council, they help unite and rally the world to protect and restore our blue planet! Check them out today!
🌏💚🤓

The 2024 We Serve to Remember 9/11 Day Grant Application is now open!

With the support of , is offering 100 grants of $1000 to organizations, schools, and youth in the U.S. to plan youth-led service projects and honor those who lost their lives on 9/11/01. Applications will be accepted through June 23.
Learn more and apply at YSA.org/911Day

Alternative Spring Break, style!

Alternative Spring Break Adventure! Students from Chico, California traveled with purpose into the heart of Guatemala's Mayan communities for an adventure in service!

Bright Light Volunteers participant Lauren Davies shares what it's like to be on one of our customized global service learning adventures!

https://youtu.be/opTvimvSisI

Be on the lookout for new programming offerings in Colombia, Guatemala, Ghana, Mexico, and Panama with Bright Light Volunteers We specialize in customizing global service learning itineraries that cultivate goodwill and peace in the world. Our newest set of Citizen Diplomacy Delegations will be launching soon!

Proud to be a San Diego World Affairs Council (SDWAC) sponsor!

🌍✨ A heartfelt thank you to our remarkable partners and sponsors who make our mission at SDWAC a reality! 🤝 Your unwavering support fuels our efforts to educate and engage San Diegans on global issues, fostering vital discussions and connections. 💬 To all potential partners and sponsors, we extend a warm invitation to join us in making a difference. Let's come together to create a more informed and connected community. Interested in collaborating with us? Reach out today!

Thanks so much for the nominations! Keep 'em coming!

https://mygivingcircle.org/bright-light-volunteers?vote=bright-light-volunteers&iv=share_T_fjUJGy80

Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes - Deadline: April 15

The Barron Prize annually honors 25 outstanding young leaders ages 8 to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and the environment. Fifteen top winners each receive $10,000 to support their service work or higher education.

Learn more here: https://barronprize.org/

Bright Light was featured as one of the "2024 Absolute Best Charities in Dallas, Texas" Thanks, Dallas Nav! You can check it out here: https://dallasnav.com/best-charities-in-dallas

One of the meaningful educational activities that groups take part in during BLV's global service learning program in is a lecture on Guatemala's Civil War (1960-1996). Participants heard first hand accounts directly from locals about their experience surviving the conflict, where over 500,000 people were "disappeared." There's no hope of changing the future for the better without understanding our collective past.

😍 We did it AGAIN! Thanks to all that supported us this year and that contributed to our #2024 status! We are creating a and inspiring students with opportunities to , , and ! JOIN US as we continue to make the world a brighter place for all! 🌏💚

Thanks to our fans, we are one of the first winners of a 2024 Top-Rated Award from Read inspiring stories about us and add your own! https://greatnonprofits.org/org/bright-light-volunteers-international

Singing, dancing, cooking and celebrating the beautiful people and culture of Guatemala. Until next time … 🇬🇹

These incredible students mixed and carried more than 500 buckets of concrete for the school project in Guatemala 👏🏼 Of course there were also wheel barrow races and homemade tortillas! 🇬🇹

Impossible to not fall in love of this town 💚🪄 would you like to visit it? And have the same experience as 🙌🏾
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What a great day in San Juan visiting a weaving cooperative, then San Antonio learning about traditional Mayan pottery, then Santa Catarina to take a swim in the volcanic thermal waters! 🇬🇹

Excited to be partnering with to bring this great group a students a true adventure in service as they construct a plastic water bottle school in beautiful Guatemala! 🇬🇹

😎 The International Young Eco-Heroe Awards for Young Environmentalist application is open until Februrary 28th!

Every year since 2003, Action For Nature (AFN), a U.S.-based non-profit, has sought to recognize and reward young people who are taking action to solve the world’s tough environmental problems. They honor the work of young people between the ages of 8 and 16 all over the globe who have done creative environmental projects with a cash prize, certificate of achievement, and public recognition:

Application Form Eco-Hero Award Winners | Action For Nature Application Form Apply here for Action For Nature's International Youth Eco-Hero award. Open to environmental activists between the ages of 8-16.