Take Action Lab

About Tilting Futures

Global Citizen Year (renamed Tilting Futures in 2024) is a non-profit organization based in Oakland, which equips young people with the intellectual and emotional toolkit to develop empathy to connect with people of all backgrounds, define their own path, and create meaningful impact on global issues.

Founded by Harvard Business School graduate Abby Falik in 2009, based on the blueprint that she presented and won first place in the 2008 Pitch for Change, the organization has launched over 2700+ leaders from 100+ countries since 2010.

Spring 2024 Cohort Experience

In the Spring 2024 cohort of the Tilting Futures Program (formerly Global Citizen Year), I was part of a vibrant group of 52 participants from 42 nationalities across 5 continents. I shared a house with 17 incredible people, each bringing a unique culture, language, and life story into our shared space.

Beyond our formal learning and work, we built deep friendships through overnight hikes, city tours, eating out, parties, and cozy house-bonding activities like cooking and movie nights. It was a truly global community where we learned, laughed, and grew together.

Media & Communications Apprenticeship

Surplus People Project (SPP) - Cape Town

As an apprentice in Media and Communications with the Surplus People Project (SPP) in Cape Town, I traveled widely across South Africa, from the Western and Northern Cape to towns like Springbok and Vonterivier, documenting stories of land rights, food sovereignty, and community resilience.

Key Responsibilities

Documentary Storytelling

Capturing stories of rural communities and their struggles for land rights

Advocacy Work

Ensuring voices of rural communities were heard beyond their borders

Food Sovereignty

Documenting community resilience and food security initiatives

Field Documentation

Extensive travel across Western and Northern Cape regions

Personal Highlights & Impact

Cultural Diversity

Living with 17 people from different cultures, languages, and backgrounds in a shared house environment.

Adventure & Bonding

Building lifelong friendships through overnight hikes, city tours, cooking sessions, and movie nights.

Memorable Moments

A whirlwind day with breakfast in Johannesburg, lunch in Pretoria, and dinner in Cape Town with a surprise "Happy Mother's Day" birthday cake.

"Those four months were more than just a program; they were a life-shaping chapter."

I gained practical skills, professional exposure, and a deeper appreciation for cultural diversity, while forging lifelong friendships. The experiences, both in the field and at home, cemented my belief that global understanding and personal connection are at the heart of meaningful change.