The sixth annual Global Social Leaders (GSL) Festival took place on Thursday, 12th June 2025.
Thank you to everyone who joined us. The GSL Festival was a celebration of youth voice and youth-led action, shining a spotlight on the 700+ young people running projects in 21 countries as part of the GSL Membership 2024/25.
Streaming live from the Lancaster Hall Hotel in London and hosted by the German YMCA in London, we kicked off the day with two powerful online panel sessions. Schools from across the globe tuned in to hear from our incredible student panellists, young leaders who shared their personal stories of using AI with purpose to deepen the impact of their projects. In our second panel, they shared their experience of building successful partnerships and collaborations. Their voices resonated across borders, reminding us all of the power of youth-led action.
In the afternoon, the celebrations continued with an in-person gathering of students from GSL Schools and partners based in the UK. These passionate changemakers took to the stage to present their projects—each one a testament to creativity, courage, and commitment to making a difference in their communities. The room was filled with inspiration, hope and a shared sense of purpose.
If you missed the chance to join the young people, educators and leaders to wrap up the year and celebrate the projects from this year’s Global Goals Competition, please see the recordings of the sessions below.
Festival Recordings
Session 1: Harnessing AI for social impact
Hosted by Jonathan Harper, co-founder of Global Social Leaders (GSL), and Darren Coxon, co-founder of Kompass Education, hear from GSL Teams Water Warriors, LoopZ and Blooming Minds on how they used AI in their projects.
Session 2: Partnership and Collaboration Panel
Host Jonathan Harper is joined by GSL Teams Namjai, Svitlo Reads and Adhikar. They explore how partnerships and collaborations can be powerful catalysts for taking projects to the next level and contribute to their success.
Session 3: Keynote & Competition Announcement!
Watch the video below to celebrate all the Teams that took part in the GSl Membership this year. Keynote from Alan Greenberg, Director and Advisory at Nudgyt and Advisor at NEXUS, he specialises in international growth, strategic partnerships, and tech-driven business development. Awards announced by GSL Judges and Partners.
WELCOME TO THE GSL FESTIVAL – 2025
We are thrilled to share the schedule for this year’s live online GSL Festival – a celebration of global youth leadership, packed with collaboration, connection, and inspiration!
Streaming live from the German YMCA in London, our proud partner, based at the Lancaster Hall Hotel.
Register now on Zoom to join us live online – with one link to access all sessions.
SESSIONS & TIMINGS
- Session 1 | 10 to 11 | Welcome to Festival followed by Harnessing AI for Social Impact – Panel discussion
- 11 to 11:15 | Break
- Session 2 | 11:15 to 12:15 | Global Student & Teacher – Panel discussion & break-outs
- 12:15 to 12:30 | Break
- Session 3 | 12:30 to 13:15 | Keynote and Competition Winners Announcement
Further details on each panel will be added on this page in the run up to the festival.
All timings are UK/London.
In the afternoon, we will be hosting an in-person gathering for our UK schools and stakeholders.
If you are in London on 12th June and would like an invitation to join, please email our team to register interest: social.leaders@future-foundations.co.uk.
AI SPOTLIGHT: HARNESSING AI FOR SOCIAL ACTION
Join us for an engaging session where GSL students and educators around the world share their experiences of integrating AI into their social action projects. Learn how AI can amplify impact, explore real-world applications, and get involved in a discussion on the potential challenges and ethical considerations. Through interactive discussions, you will gain insights and strategies to enhance your projects using AI, and maximise social impact.
This is our second annual spotlight on this topic, which will reflect on the changes in one year and given the impact AI is having on education and work, we are excited to explore this important topic with you.
The session will be co-facilitated by Darren Coxon, Founder of Coxon AI and Jonathan Harper CEO of Future Foundations and Co-Founder of Global Social Leaders
DARREN COXON
Darren is the Founder of Coxon AI, a consultancy specialising in leveraging AI to make schools places people want to be, not have to be. An educator for 25 years, Darren has most recently managed the operation of school groups, notably Brighton College’s international schools and Britus Education, Bahrain. Darren has been at the forefront of educational technology for many years, including leading the first state 6th Form in the UK to move to an iPad 1:1 model. He is now a major thought leader on AI in education and has delivered training, keynotes and workshops for HMC, COBIS, BSME, GSA, Independent Schools Portal, the National College, Wellington College, and GESS Dubai. Darren advised Global Social Leaders on our AI statement and strategy, and is a Final Round Judge for GSL.
PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION PANEL
Explore the value of partnerships and collaboration with some of Lead Teachers and their students from the GSL Membership this year. They have developed their social action projects and made incredible impact through the use of local partnerships. During this panel we will discern the importance of partnerships and how collaboration has enhanced the students’ projects.
Facilitated by Drishya Rao, the GLS Programme Manager, hear from three schools who have been on the GSL Membership this year.
Chilipo Gunda and Ndirande from Saint Andrews International School Malawi
Ilke Tekeli and The Sustainable Squad from Eyuboglu Educational Institutions
Minal Jain and Sattva from Jayshree Periwal International School
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ZAINAB SALBI
Zainab Salbi is a humanitarian, a writer and a social entrepreneur who has dedicated her life to women’s rights and freedom. She is the co-founder of Daughters for Earth, a fund and a movement focused on funding, celebrating, and mobilizing women to protect and restore our Earth. She has frequently been named as one of the women changing the world by leading publications ranging from Newsweek to The Guardian. Oprah Winfrey identified her as one of the women changing the world to People Magazine and President Bill Clinton identified her as one of the 21st-century heroes to Harper’s Bazaar. Most recently, Zainab received the Times100 Impact Awards in 2023.
At the age of 23, Zainab founded Women for Women International, a humanitarian organization dedicated to women survivors of wars. Under her leadership (1993–2011), Women for Women International grew from helping 30 women upon its inception to helping more than 420,000 women and distributing more than 146 million dollars in aid.
Zainab is the author of several books, including the best seller Between Two Worlds: Escape from Tyranny; Growing Up in the Shadow of Saddam (with Laurie Buckland); The Other Side of War; Women’s Stories of Survival and Hope; If You Knew Me You Would Care,(with photographs by Rennio Maifredi); and her latest Freedom is an Inside Job; Owning our Darkness and Our Light to Change Ourselves and the World.
She is also the Executive Editor and Host of several shows including Through Her Eyes with Yahoo News, #MeToo, Now What? with PBS, The Zainab Salbi Project with Huffington Post, and The Nida’a Show with TLC Arabia.
She is a Young Global Leader with the World Economic Forum and serves on the Boards of Vital Voices, International Refugee Assistance Program (IRAP), and Synergos International.
Overall Winners!
100% the Junior Winners!
From Wellington College International Bangkok, Team 100% tackled hunger and food waste through education, action, and compassion. In partnership with a local NGO, they prepared and delivered hundreds of nutritious meals directly to those in need using surplus food collected from supermarkets and restaurants. From cooking in professional kitchens to transforming local spaces into pop-up kitchens, they fed hundreds of people but also fostered empathy, dignity and human connection. Beyond direct service, they have inspired change within their school by raising awareness through a vibrant charity booth featuring interactive games and personal stories sparking meaningful conversations about food waste. Through teamwork, creativity, and a shared commitment to sustainability, they have empowered their peers to take action and demonstrated how student-led initiatives can create real change in the fight against hunger.
Find out more about their project here.
Saharaa the Mixed Team Winners!
From Nerja Modi School, India, Saharaa aims to reshape urban slums into secure, dignified living spaces – both physically and mentally—for some of India’s most vulnerable people. Their mission is rooted in the belief that every individual deserves recognition, support, and the right to a safe home. Through a unique mix of community-based interventions and evidence-driven policy advocacy, Saharaa bridges the gap between underserved communities and the systems meant to support them. They also harnessed storytelling and art to amplify domestic violence survivor voices by publishing and distributing Damini, a bilingual domestic violence resource to over 1,600 readers across India— now free and accessible to all on Amazon.
Find out more here.
Adhikar the Senior Winners!
From Jayshree Periwal International School, India, Adhikar revitalises neglected Anganwadis—vital centers for early childhood education and women’s health in rural areas – transforming them into vibrant hubs of learning, safety, and empowerment. It restores childhoods, equips young mothers with knowledge and support, and sets a new standard for dignity-driven governance. The transformation goes beyond infrastructure. Adhikar uplifts sex workers, migrant women, and vulnerable children, breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and silence. At its core lies a simple, unwavering belief: education and healthcare are not privileges—they are fundamental rights.
Find out more here.
Category Winners!
PREVIOUS FESTIVALS
The GSL Festival has been delivered annually for the last five years, launching in 2020. Take a look at the pages below to explore how the event has developed over the years!