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IFIA Magazine
March 2023

Global Innovation Field

Trip (GIFT) Story

In March of 2020, just about the time when Covid 19 was making its big de-
but in the United States, colleagues more than 640 miles apart reconnected
and came up with an idea that would rapidly go global. Juli Shively and Jake
Mendelssohn’s combined knowledge and skill in youth innovation forewarned
them that Spring would typically be celebratory months for young innovators
across the United States. However, with the pandemic racing through the U.S.,
challenges, contests, and just about everything else was getting canceled.
Shively and Mendelssohn decided to “invent” a new platform to celebrate
young innovators and entrepreneurs called the Global Innovation Field Trip,
GIFT for short.
Collaborating with their international connections, the event quickly became
a global world-learning opportu-
nity for students, where young
people and program leaders
were invited to present for 10
or 25 minutes, sharing their
stories of innovation. Hosted
live via zoom, simultaneously
live streamed over YouTube,
with all presentation videos
added to the extensive innova-
tion library on the GIFT website
as a tool for educators and
innovators around the world.
Recently celebrating its 12th
event, GIFT has hosted more
than 760 presentations, and
1160 presenters from 56 coun-
tries. Hosting youth panel
discussions, professional de-
velopment sessions, student
co-hosts, challenges, youth
mashups, and more, GIFT continues to evolve, inventing new ways to celebrate
young innovators all over the world.
Are you curious to know more, learn how to support GIFT, or have an inno-
vation story to share with the world?
www.globalinnovationfieldtrip.org
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