The Youth Platform is an international essay contest organized annually by the Gulen Institute.  High school students from any school in any country are prompted to discuss potential solutions to global challenges such as violence, poverty, lack of education, child labor, trafficking, gender inequality, hunger, and drug abuse.  Contest winners will receive a trip to Washington DC, where they will present their essay to their peers and meet with US Congressmen and community leaders.  We hope that these programs encourage a new generation of leaders to think internationally.