Ms. Shirley Schneider is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Instituto Joule, a Brazilian non-profit organization that seeks to empower the lives of Brazil’s youth and poor. Ms. Schneider participated in the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows Program in September 2018. She reported that her experience in Utah facilitated several key exchanges with prominent people and organizations that remained with her upon her return to Brazil.
Her time spent working with Cicero Consulting Group “changed [her] mind-set.” With the incomparable assistance from her mentor, Jacob Allen, Ms. Schneider offered gratitude at the chance to connect herself with the firm and its data-driven mission for social impact. While working with Cicero, she was able to job shadow with teams working on similar programs which additionally capitalized on the importance of networking.
As a result of her participation, Ms. Schneider says that she “became more resilient, self-confident and prepared for the challenges of the future.” With professional exposure to likeminded individuals collaborating to ensure the success of NGOs worldwide, she found the placement with Cicero to be fruitful. We hope to instill this same sentiment in each and every participant who joins our programs at Utah Global Diplomacy.
Shirley mentoring Youth in Brazil
Ms. Schenider’s “deep influence in [her] achievements” originates from her experiences in Utah fostered by both the Department of State and Utah Global Diplomacy. These opportunities have not only proven personally advantageous, but to the collective benefit of her community as well. Since her return to Brazil, she has partnered with International Youth Foundation (an organization designed to empower youth) to implement a pilot program and has solidified existing relations with GreaterGood.org for the Program Girls’ Voices. Ms. Schneider has graciously recognized that her time spent in Utah has merely elevated her potential for social change.
