Freshman Taylor Smith '26 has been speaking at the United Nations Since she was 10

 

Editor's Note: Taylor Smith, a ninth grader at SAAS has spoken at the United Nations several times since she was ten years old. We asked her to tell her story from her perspective and also include the content of her most recent speech to celebrate her successes, learn from her and understand her perspective as a Youth Ambassador.

My name is Taylor Smith and I am a ninth-grader at Seattle Academy. Over the past several years, I have had the incredible opportunity to speak at the United Nations. 

In October, I was invited back to speak at the ECOSOC, United Nations New York Headquarters, for the Global Goals Summit 2022, where I was able to offer my perspective as a young adult in the next generation and respond to some of the goals set forth by the UN. 

Ideagen Global works with the United Nations to develop innovative global partnerships in support of the Sustainable Development Goals. Since I was ten, I have been a Student & Youth Ambassador with them for global events held at the United Nations, such as the Empowering Women and Girls Summit and the Technology for Good and Call for Code Summits. Attendees and speakers at these events include world leaders, global dignitaries, Fortune 1000 executives and non-profit and non-governmental organizations; in addition to youth representation from around the world. I am immensely grateful to have the chance to be selected to speak again as a high schooler. 

From the time I was in preschool until joining SAAS, I was lucky enough to be part of a community with my school that focused on the importance of advocating for social justice as the foundational anchor for the curriculum and culture. 

From working with the Seattle Food Bank, supporting local senior centers and libraries, and coordinating the annual Seattle Martin Luther King Jr. March for Peace, my classmates and I were empowered to take leadership roles to drive change for good. To have our voices heard, and be the voice for so many who did not always have a platform, had a tremendous impact on me as a person.

My journey with the UN began when I was given a chance to share my perspective on what empowerment is. I was selected along with other global youths to participate at the United Nations Ideagen Empowering Women and Girls Summit. I had no idea I would be the youngest speaker at a panel with executives from companies like Google and organizations like the World Economic Forum! It was a powerful experience and while I was a bit nervous at the time, I also was incredibly grateful for the opportunity to speak on behalf of youth who may not always have a voice. Afterward, I felt even more strongly about the importance of being the change you want to see in the world, which keeps me engaged every year. 

This opportunity interested me because I am concerned about our ability as a human race to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The goals are "a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” These goals require an immense and overwhelming effort, and we currently have limited global leadership focused on them, along with an incredibly short timeline. 

I am even more concerned about the burden this puts on future generations to carry the weight of addressing past generations' failures to achieve these goals. There is not enough focus on developing the next several generations of leaders it will require to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.  I do not feel that today's youth, my generation in particular, is empowered to have the impact we could. 

My why is the acceleration of youth empowerment for action. I know what it feels like to have your voice quieted and light dimmed by the perceived limitations that leaders, society, government and legal systems put on youth. I have seen where we are treated more like property than change agents. I cannot imagine how much worse it is for a person my age in a country without democracy or the resources necessary to meet their most basic needs. Until we prioritize the empowerment of today's youth to provide insight, leadership and innovation that allows us to solve complex problems to sustain our world, we will continue to struggle in attaining these and so many other critical goals that will enable all of Earth's ecosystems and inhabitants to thrive.

In my session, I discussed how the UN Sustainable Development Goals impact my life and the lives of those in my generation, along with my outlook on different systems within our country and around the world. I also shared ways my generation is solving some of the complex challenges in our society that we will continue to face as future leaders if we don't act now (human trafficking, socio-economic imbalance, mental health crises, etc.) Some of the questions I was asked and my responses are included below. 

 

How can our Education Systems change their outlook on educating for the Global Goals?

We spend a great deal of time teaching our youth about history. But history can be perceived as subjective. We can sit here and debate about what happened when or focus on helping our youth find ways to take past facts into account as we solve the problems right in front of us. But that won’t be enough. We have to disrupt the system. Now is the time for Education Systems to reinvent themselves. Building partnerships between schools, universities, and industries like high-tech and healthcare would open the gateway for students to access critical information, collaborative innovation, and new ways of applying a growth mindset. Focusing these partnerships on achieving the Global Goals would allow students to be part of the solution. We need to shift our thinking from creating Education Systems to establishing platforms for empowerment. 

How can we increase the Global Goals relevance to youth today?

I want to return to a point I made earlier; platforms for empowerment. We need to give youth a seat at the table for immediate impact. For example, at this very conference just before COVID, the UN, multiple companies, startups and non-profits came together with young women and girls to solve human trafficking (Global Goal 8.7). In one day, we made an impact by building solutions to keep children and women safe in high-risk parts of the world from human slavery and trafficking. This is how we give youth a platform to become relevant through the Global Goals, not just make the goals relevant for our youth.

Since we have a variety of ages on the panel, could you describe the impact the Global Goals have on you personally?

I will graduate high school in three years. I cannot imagine planning my career without considering not just one but multiple Global Goals. This is because I am hyper-aware that it now falls entirely on the shoulders of my generation, and the generations that follow, to solve these complex problems. We are out of time. I’m not sure that generations before us understand the sincere sense of urgency that my peers and I feel daily. Because of this, the Global Goals don’t just impact me now; they impact who I will become in my life going forward and the legacy I will leave behind.

What do you need from leaders today to become the leaders of tomorrow?

It is so encouraging to see countries like India require that organizations who do business in their country must invest back in the people of India, improving the human condition by investing time and funds into education, sustainability and a commitment to the attainment of the Global Goals. I would like to see other countries, especially those with higher levels of economic capacity and freedom to step up and make similar investments in their people and commitment to the Global Goals, and for countries with less economic capacity and freedom to be able to introduce similar policies with the support of the United Nations Commission for Trade and Development. By changing public policy, requiring corporate and government commitment to collaborate for good and making much-needed investments to help resources and technologies become accessible for all, we create platforms for empowerment that will allow the young leaders of tomorrow to thrive.

This was an incredible opportunity that I will always cherish. I look forward to staying involved in similar ventures with Ideagen Global, the United Nations, and Seattle Academy.