GLOBAL PITCH 2025
Congratulations to our changemakers who pitched their projects at our 8th annual Global Pitch event!​
Youth led PROJECTS
We raised $2,700 to support a community clinic in Uganda to bring healthcare to the village of Acolynik. With the funds and three packed suitcases, we provided a medical-microscope, two patient beds, solar panels for electricity, a digital scale, etc. The supplies included essentials like bandaids, gauze pads, surgical masks, gloves, Neosporin, iodine, and more. These critical resources allow the clinic to gain official registration, so they can receive and distribute medicine. With this support, the clinic can effectively serve all eight surrounding villages, no longer struggling to meet basic medical needs, but equipped to provide real care.
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We are dedicated to the protection and well-being of shelter animals across New York State. To take direct action, we partnered with the Westchester SPCA. To help the shelter, we used the $436 we received through our GoFundMe to donate essential supplies, like collars, leashes, and bowls. Along with items collected through our donation drive, we donated 79 supplies to the shelter. We created an educational website to teach people about unlicensed puppy mills and connect people to local shelters. Our Instagram page (@gs_pawswithacause) was used to promote our drive and share educational information about unlicensed puppy mills.
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South Africa has a serious problem with its mental healthcare systems, we want to provide a path to access, aiming to pay for people’s mental health care expenses and medication, we want to raise money through t-shirt sales and raise awareness about how not getting the right care effects student through an essay competition. There are people who seriously need our help, not being able to get the correct help or having the people helping you not take you seriously is a serious problem and hurts so many people, we just want to help make their lives a little better.
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We launched the “Lock It Up” initiative to address the dangers of unlocked firearms. We lobbied in Albany for secure storage laws and raised awareness through school events and jewelry sales. This project combined advocacy with direct action. Raising over $1,000 in funds, we purchased and donated 64 gun locks to Summerville, South Carolina, and New Haven, Connecticut, two communities recently affected by accidental shootings. Through education, outreach, and policy support, we are working to prevent unintentional firearm deaths and promote responsible gun ownership, proving that young voices can make a real impact on public safety.
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Grace in Action is a project led by two juniors from Norwood High School who noticed a growing number of homeless individuals in their community and the lack of essential support, such as care packages. Motivated by it, the students are putting together 100+ goodie bags filled with hygiene products, snacks, first aid kits, and personalized handwritten notes of encouragement. These bags will be donated to local homeless shelters to offer practical assistance and emotional support. Their mission is to inspire others to take small, thoughtful actions that can make a positive impact in the lives of those in need.
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This project aims to reduce the amount of waste produced in hospitals to help decrease the CO2 emissions of the US health sector. It will help hospitals switch to using sustainable, reusable tools and inform medical professionals about making hospitals more sustainable. To spread this information to everyone else, I will create a social media page that posts information regarding the sustainability of healthcare. I need $100 to pay for social media promotion so posts will be more visible to people. This will help create a more sustainable future, one hospital at a time.
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I have decided to focus on teenage domestic violence for my project. This is a very important issue because it’s very hard to recognize teenage domestic violence. Most teenagers who are in abusive relationships don’t even realize that they are being abused; they also tend not to go to adults for help. I have decided to create a social media account that will educate teenagers about domestic violence and professional help. This will help teeangers because education is key with domestic violence. I will need around $100 to promote my posts on social media ($6.70 per 1000 views).
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We have researched educational inequality around Westchester and we found some of the biggest differences in funding and resources. This project aims to address educational inequality by creating student-led workshops where high school volunteers teach essential skills like coding, art, and public speaking to underfunded elementary and middle school students. The program also provides donated or unused resources. High school students will also offer tutoring to those who need support. The budget includes $60 for art supplies, $20 for Rubix cubes, and $50 for future workshop materials. This initiative will help bridge the gap between schools of varying funding levels
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The problem I am trying to solve is the New York City Public Housing Crisis. My solution was to create a petition calling for the New York City government to spend more money trying to fix the public housing problem and have an expert on this issue come to my school to discuss the situation. I will need 200 dollars to pay for the expert to come to my school and also need to pay for letters for anyone who wants to sign a petition at the event.
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In New York City, child poverty remains a critical issue, obstructing educational opportunities for many young learners. Our project aims to close this gap by creating a tutoring service via Zoom, offering free academic support to elementary school children in need. This solution uses technology to provide accessible, personalized learning, helping students improve their academic performance. We are seeking $200 to fund this project, covering costs for educational materials and for pushing our Instagram account out. This investment will ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of our program, ultimately helping children to overcome educational barriers caused by poverty.
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This project aims to help young children in poverty affected by the lack of child care in New York. The lack of child care is significant because it impacts children's development as well as their family's economic stability. We plan to create an educational, advocacy, and fundraising event with the Mount Kisco Child Care Center. Additionally, we plan to write letters to government officials advocating for support through funding and inspire others to volunteer at local childcare facilities. We are asking for $285.59 to put together the event and support the families served by Mount Kisco Child Care Center.
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Poverty is directly linked to a lack of education. Contrary to popular belief, poor education isn't a symptom of poverty, it is one of the causes. The United States is plagued with the issue of the teacher shortage. The issue affects millions of students nationwide and seemingly no action is being taken. I am organizing a school supply drive targeted towards supplies that teachers would usually buy out of pocket. In tandem, I will advocate for the changing of a law which hinders teacher pay.
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Gorilla populations in Africa are declining and they have become an endangered species. The reasons are: poaching, disease, and habitat destruction. The ecosystem will suffer and become unbalanced if we don’t help save the gorillas from extinction. I plan to have an expert on gorillas give an educational lecture about this issue to spread awareness. After the lecture, I will sell gorilla plushies and all the profit will go to a reliable gorilla conservation organization. The required budget is estimated at $360. I will get 30 plushies, which come out to $260; the expert varies from $0 - $100.
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This project focuses on the need for affordable mental health care and ending stigma. Two videos will be created: one to raise awareness about mental health insurance issues and encourage action, and another to break stigma and help people feel heard. The first video is for young adults handling insurance, and the second is for anyone affected by stigma. To reach audiences effectively, I can’t rely solely on social media algorithms, so promoting the videos is essential. I need $200 to give an extra push to my posts, with $100 allocated to each video. These funds will help spread the message and inspire change—let’s make mental health care more accessible and end the stigma!
Visionary Institute PROJECTS
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FoodPrintEDU aims to educate about how dietary choice influences one’s ecological footprint and can mitigate climate change! We provide internships, illuminating presentations, and through funding sustain a website to showcase recipes and content like original blogs. After presentations we aren’t sure whether students are motivated to stick with alternatives we suggest. Our hope is to develop a calculator/tracker for users to track their “foodprint”. Students will see the benefits one choice can have, and track their progress over time! This will inspire and motivate people to set goals and compete with their choices, as the environmental benefits will be clear.
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Discover a healthier, more compassionate way of living with our 4-week Plant-Based Living Program. Meeting online and in-person one day a week, the program combines education with practical tools. Each week focuses on a specific theme, discussing the health, environmental, and animal impacts of the dairy, egg, sea life, and land animal industries, alongside social justice issues connected to health and the environment. Engage in online cooking demos, receive sponsor coupons to explore vegan products, and gain support through a vibrant online community. Inspiring you to live well and make a positive impact—one bite at a time.
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Raízes Vivas (Living Roots) empowers rural communities in Portugal by bridging generations to address youth migration and elder loneliness. We blend tradition with innovation through intergenerational collaboration, preserving cultural heritage while promoting sustainability. Elders share their knowledge of crafts and farming, while youth bring creativity, modern skills, and entrepreneurship. Together, they can create crafts, local initiatives, document traditions, and revitalize community life. By fostering economic growth, environmental stewardship, and cultural preservation, Raízes Vivas can transform rural challenges into opportunities for growth, building a sustainable future for all generations.
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