Education is important to me because it’s about more than just going to school – it’s about shaping our thoughts and ideas and opening up opportunities later in life.

Today is World AIDS Day. Did you know that young people between the ages of 15 and 24 make up 40 percent of new HIV infections globally?

Over the past few weeks, you may have seen some of our blogs on violence against girls. Every day, a woman or girl is a victim of violence. Did you know that violence kills or harms as many women and girls between the ages of 15 and 44 as cancer?

As a teen in the U.S., you are more socially connected today than ever before.  A study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that 75% of 12-17 year-olds now own cell phones, up from 45% in 2004, and one in three teens sends more than 100 text messages a day – or 3,000 texts a month!  Teens instant message and connect on social networking sites with friends almost as much as they connect in person. 

One of the UN’s jobs is to keep peace around the world, and this is a big job.  In the United States, we can vote in an election once we turn 18 and know that our vote will be counted.  We don’t wake up on a daily basis worrying that the building we go to school or work in will be bombed.  But some people do.

When I tell people that I work for the United Nations (UN) Foundation, one of the most common questions I get is, “Do you work in the UN building?” I don’t. And in fact, many people who work for the UN work in office buildings other than the UN headquarters building located on the East River in New York City.

When I was little, my sister and I would sit down after trick or treating and would spread our candy all over the living room floor so that we could count and sort it.

One of the Girl Up campaign’s strongest partners in its work to improve the lives of girls living in developing countries is the United Nations (UN)... With more than 600 million adolescent girls globally – each of whom has tremendous potential to impact their family, community and our world – it’s critical that the UN address the rights and needs of girls.