Shutdown Showdown As of October 1, the federal government has entered a shutdown following a breakdown in negotiations between Senate Republicans and Democrats over FY26 funding. This halt will impact any remaining foreign assistance programs as we continue to monitor efforts towards a continuing resolution that would fund the government at FY25 levels through at least the end of this year. In the meantime, we await FY26 funding figures from the Senate State and Foreign Operations committee, including allocations for international basic education. Once released, GCE-US members will support the highest funding level for these programs with a member sign-on letter and community action alert. Stay tuned for opportunities to take action! | |
Youth Alumni Panel Discussion You’re invited to be part of an inspiring conversation entitled "From Advocacy to Leadership," a GCE-US Alumni Panel on Tuesday, October 14 at 7:00 PM EST! Among our 150 youth advocate alumni, two remarkable leaders — Melina Hettiaratchi ‘13, a candidate for Kentucky's 31st State House District, and Stephanie Peña ‘13, Director of Global Education Program Development at Special Olympics — will share their powerful journeys. Discover how their experiences in the GCE-US youth advocacy program helped shape their paths to leadership in education and beyond. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage, learn, and be inspired. | |
GCE-US at UNGA During the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), GCE-US and our members spotlighted the urgent need for inclusive, quality education worldwide. Highlights included a powerful discussion on education in emergencies, a side event on foundational learning led by Building Tomorrow, and a vibrant member meet-up fostering collaboration among global education advocates. These engagements reinforced GCE-US’s commitment to keeping education at the heart of global development efforts. Two GCE-US youth advocates also joined the action: Imaani Haque and Ushna Fawad. Imaani contributed to the Foreign Affairs Her Power Event on advocating for women’s rights internationally and Ushna participated in an interactive workshop hosted by Teach for All with GCE-US Program Director, Grace Rector. Ushna notes, “It was powerful to be in a space full of change makers, not just learning from them, but being one of them.” Her experience reminded her of " the urgency of working on and funding education, not as a distant ideal, but as an immediate priority if we are to ensure every child has access to quality learning and opportunity.” | |
Member Spotlight: iACT Little Ripples is a play-based, trauma-informed early childhood education program of iACT that is uniquely adapted with each community. Rather than arriving with a pre-designed program, iACT listens, builds relationships, and co-creates accessible and adaptable early childhood education programs with men and women living in displacement. This summer, iACT ventured into a new style of partnership with Sudanese refugees recently displaced and living in Refugee Camp Alacha in eastern Chad: resourcing what the community was naturally building. When visiting Alacha, iACT did not find a community in need of programs. They found a community already creating safe educational spaces for their children — refusing to wait for NGOs or others to act and instead taking action themselves to meet the needs of children and families. What they wanted was not direction, but resources and support. The iACT team met a woman running a preschool program under the shade of a tree. They visited a home-based preschool voluntarily started by a woman in the community, and another started by a man who had built two structures to accommodate different age groups. These are the amazing teachers that inspire us with their passion and commitment to prioritize with urgency the creation of safe and educational spaces for their children. | |
