The Office of Sustainability is excited to announce a series of activities in collaboration with the The KAUST School, KAUST-TKS Office of Engagement & Enrichment, Students for Sustainability and Saudi Youth for Sustainability, aimed at empowering young leaders for social impact. As part of this program, we are proud to welcome Evan Wesley, Senior Vice President of Leadership Development and Mentorship Programs at Legacy Youth Leadership.

Legacy Youth Leadership (LYL) is a non-profit that aims to build a socially conscious and active generation of young people. They offer free educational programs, as well as leadership coaching and mentoring, to complement students’ schooling and personal development. LYL has inspired more than 360,000 students globally every year, while raising awareness about sustainability challenges such as climate change, the water crises, or social and gender equality.

21st of March 2023

Lecture -The Power of Youth-led Organizations
Time: 09:15 – 10:15 a.m.
Location: Bld 9 Lvl 2 Room 2325

• In this lecture open for all KAUST community, Evan will discuss how youth leadership can drive meaningful change by answering common questions young leaders routinely raise when building nonprofit organizations: How can young people use their time, money, voice, and vote to change the world? What advantages does youth have when reaching stakeholders? What are the challenges around youth-led organizations and how to overcome them? Click here to register for the lecture.

Workshop: How to build an NGO for social impact
Time: 10:30 a.m. – 13:00 p.m.
Location: Bld 9 Lvl 2 Room 2325

• The world is full of problems, and we hold the solutions to most of them. Young people are better together, and when young leaders are able to effectively organize into groups around a common purpose, the world can and will be forever changed. This interactive workshop experience will highlight the historical importance and future significance of young people organizing their passion, values, and beliefs into organizations committed to social impact. Come learn how to build and lead an organization that solves the problems we face today.
  Click here to register. This event is organized in collaboration with the KAUST Students for Sustainability and the Saudi Youth for Sustainability.

TKS Cross Divisional Meeting – Educating a Socially Conscious Generation
Time: 03:15 – 04:00 p.m.
Location: GSS Theater

• In this session dedicated to TKS faculty, Evan will discuss how educators can build a socially conscious generation of young leaders. The conversation will include the interconnectedness of SDGs in the classroom alongside the values we aim to instill in our students. Evan will examine the power of young people in the present and the limitations we can put on them as adults – asking how we can encourage youth to realize they have all the resources they need to make a meaningful and measurable impact in the world today.

22nd of March 2023

TKS Lecture – The Importance of Caring
Time: 12:15 p.m. – 13:00 p.m.
Location: GSS Theater

• “Why should I care?” This is a question we often ask ourselves when deciding to take a stand for something we know is right but for which we know we can’t effect change on our own. In a lecture targeted at TKS Grade 9 and Grade 10 students, Evan will instigate students to join their voices to make positive, sustainable change in the world. Examples centered around the UN SDGs will be used to inspire students to focus on current global challenges.