This week’s featured club is the Girls Learn International (GLI) chapter of Pleasant Valley High School. They are managed by Senior Executive President Lily Williams and Executive Officers Muskan Basket and Emerson Peters.
The GLI chapter was introduced to PV in 2014 by Ramya Kumar impressively during her freshman year of high school. It has since grown to having almost 80 members. The club focuses on empowering high schoolers and encourage them to make change with the education of human rights. Femenist-based, GLI is an ally to the LGBTQ community as well as many other human rights struggles.
As Peters made clear, GLI looks beyond the members’ immediate community and places concern in the well-being of people all around the world. As Peters said, “By educating our members, we allow them to form opinions and stances on human rights issues and hope that this helps them in future endeavors and elections.”
Freshmen student Allisa Pandit joined the club this year and expressed the importance of the group. She grew up in a very politically involved family which allowed her to see the importance of education, empowerment and change. When looking for a club that fit these standards, GLI was the perfect choice. As Pandit said, “GLI is making a change because it is a source for a student to become more aware of politics and major events taking place in the world.”
GLI just completed their annual t-shirt sale which raised $950 to support Girl Rising– an organization helping female empowerment and education. They also enjoy participating in community outreach programs like the Fearlessly Girl Anti-Bullying Assembly, which the club will attend on Nov. 16. Peters looks forward to this event, emphasizing its importance when she said, “Along with knowledge, GLI stresses unification and confidence for every human.”
Members of GLI have sparked interest in much of the student body during their rise as a well-known group. It has successfully brought attention to their peers on issues members hope to one day resolve. They encourage their fellow students to keep and open mind and and join the club to learn a different perspective and grow as an individual along with the community.
