Former U.S. President Bill Clinton joins Glasswing International as it commits to "100 Community Schools" for Central America

Chelsea Clinton closes CGI Annual Meeting with live Skype call to Glasswing student in El Salvador

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Oct 02, 2015, 04:38 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Glasswing International Founder Celina de Sola announced the organization's 'Commitment to Action' during the 2015 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting. Central America is currently facing immense challenges, among them, the highest levels of violence in the world, along with unaccompanied minors emigrating to escape desperate conditions. Glasswing is embarking on an ambitious effort to turn 100 public schools into community schools, providing youth with unprecedented opportunities, and empowering communities to share in the commitment.

Chelsea Clinton closes CGI Annual Meeting with live Skype call to Glasswing community school student in El Salvador

Glasswing community school student Marvin Monge and classmates in El Salvador speaking to Chelsea Clinton at CGI Annual Meeting via Skype

Glasswing has partnered with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) over the past five years to develop the model at schools in El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala. Chelsea Clinton was able to share a Skype call with a student at one of Glasswing's English Clubs, and get his thoughts on the future during the CGI's closing session. "It was a great honor to speak with Chelsea Clinton. Being a part of Glasswing's programs has presented me with opportunities I would have never dreamt possible," said Marvin Jose Monge Figueroa, a 17-year-old studying at one of Glasswing's 'community schools' in an at-risk area in El Salvador.

Celina de Sola, Diego de Sola, and Ken Baker founded Glasswing International in 2007 as an innovative non-profit to address the root causes of poverty and violence through education, health, and community empowerment.

"It is a critical time for Central America given the incredible challenges facing youth and communities. Working closely with public schools to make them the center of community pride and activity, while providing youth with positive role models, a sense of hope, and the skills for a brighter future is what community schools are all about. We are committed to increasing our community schools from approximately 30 to a total of 100 throughout Central America to serve as a catalyst for change, while providing leaders for tomorrow," said Celina. "Working with the Clinton Global Initiative is key to our efforts."

Glasswing's three-year commitment will mobilize teachers, parents, students, community members, and company employees as volunteers - creating a greater sense of ownership, empowerment, civic participation, and sustainability. The main components include, extreme school makeovers, after-school programs and competitions, and community engagement and training.

This initiative, which will be rolled out in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, will directly benefit over 37,000 children and youth, as well as 1,500 adults.

About Glasswing International
Glasswing International is an innovative non-profit that addresses the root causes of poverty and violence through education, health, and community empowerment programs. Glasswing's cross-sector approach forges partnerships with international and local governments, corporations, non-profits, and civil society, bolstering communities' existing resources.

Since 2007, more than $17 million has been directed toward education and health programs with less than 5% going to overhead. Currently, Glasswing has permanent programming in six countries in Central America and projects in an additional eight countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, impacting the lives of over 600,000 people. For more information, visit: www.glasswing.org, and follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/glasswingi, Twitter: @glasswingint, and Instagram: @glasswingi.

About Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together 190 sitting and former heads of state, more than 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 3,200 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries.

In addition to the Annual Meeting, CGI convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States; and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. This year, CGI also convened CGI Middle East & Africa, which brought together leaders across sectors to take action on pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.

For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150929/272153
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150929/272199

SOURCE Glasswing International