PRESS RELEASE: International Youth Foundation Recognized as a 2024 Hilton Global Foundation Grantee for Career Development Efforts, Receives $350,000 for Empowering Opportunity Youth through the JuventudES Program
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Source: JuventudES program participants with IYF leadership in Mexico City, September 2024
Funding will equip vulnerable young people with technical skills and life counseling, aligning with the Hilton Global Foundation’s mission to create a better world for travel and Hilton’s Travel with Purpose strategy
[BALTIMORE, MD] – Today, the International Youth Foundation (IYF), a global nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people through education, employment, and life skills development, is proud to announce its selection as a 2024 Hilton Global Foundation grant recipient, receiving $350,000 to support its work empowering Opportunity Youth through the JuventudES program.
These efforts align with Travel With Purpose, Hilton’s strategy to drive responsible travel and tourism, as well as the Hilton Global Foundation's priorities of environmental sustainability, career development, and community resilience.
IYF is committed to driving positive social change by equipping Opportunity Youth in Mexico City with essential job skills, life skills, and access to sustainable employment. In 2023, the Hilton Global Foundation began working with IYF’s JuventudES program, which helps vulnerable young adults ages 16-29 to gain vital job skills and secure employment. With a proven job placement rate of 75% from the previous grant, this new funding will further strengthen these efforts, aiming to benefit at least 200 young people, with a goal of ensuring that at least 50% of participants secure employment or return to education.
"We are thrilled to be recognized by the Hilton Global Foundation for our work with Opportunity Youth," said Christina Sass, IYF President and CEO. "The JuventudES program has been transformative for young people in Mexico City, and this grant will allow us to maintain our momentum, expand our impact, and help even more young people gain the skills they need to build sustainable careers," she added.
The Hilton Global Foundation awards annual grants to nonprofits that are improving travel destinations, creating economic opportunities for all, and helping Hilton advance its Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals. These efforts support the Hilton Global Foundation’s funding priorities of driving environmental sustainability, career development, and community resilience in communities around the world.
“The Hilton Global Foundation is proud to support IYF in their efforts to empower Opportunity Youth through career development initiatives,” said Katherine Lugar, EVP, corporate affairs, Hilton, and president, Hilton Global Foundation. “The Hilton Global Foundation was created based on the belief that travel can be a powerful, positive force for good. The 2024 Hilton Global Foundation grant recipients have shown the impact that people and organizations can have when they come together to make an impact in their communities, and we look forward to seeing the transformative results of this grant.”
For media inquiries, please contact Arpine Baghdasarian, IYF Director of Communications and Marketing, or +1-410-951-2314.
About Hilton Global Foundation
The Hilton Global Foundation is Hilton’s primary international philanthropic arm. The Foundation is a nonprofit established in the U.S. and is a registered 501(c)3 charitable organization. The Foundation awards grants, in alignment with Hilton’s Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals, that have a positive impact on travel destinations around the world. Foundation grants are awarded throughout the year in accordance with tax and legal requirements. Learn more about the Hilton Global Foundation at HiltonGlobalFoundation.hilton.com
About IYF
The International Youth Foundation® (IYF®) stands by, for, and with young people. Founded in 1990 through a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, IYF is a global nonprofit with programs directly benefiting 8.1 million young people and operations spanning over 105 countries. Together with local community-based organizations and a network of corporate, foundation, and multilateral partners, we connect young people with opportunities to transform their lives. We believe that educated, employed, engaged young people possess the power to solve the world’s toughest problems, and we focus our youth development efforts on three linked objectives: unlocking agency, driving economic opportunity, and making systems more inclusive. Our vision is to see young people inspired and equipped to realize the future they want. The International Youth Foundation: Transforming Lives, Together. To learn more about the International Youth Foundation, please join us at iyfglobal.org.