Jennifer Kloes
Executive Director

Jennifer has served as Executive Director of Global Youth Connect since 1999. In addition to overseeing the general organizational and program development of GYC, she has organized and led human rights delegations to Rwanda, Guatemala, Cambodia, Nepal and developed human rights, peacebuilding and activism training workshops for young human rights defenders from around the world.

Prior to her work with GYC, Jennifer worked as the international programs coordinator for Street Law, an international organization that runs educational programs in the areas of law, human rights, democracy and conflict resolution, on projects in El Salvador, Northern Ireland, Southern and Eastern Africa, and the Newly Independent States. Her background also includes working with Amnesty International, Children's Rights, Inc., and Global Rights on a wide range of human rights issues such as political prisoners in Cuba, Haiti, and Western Africa and children lost in the foster care system of the U.S., among others.

Jennifer also conducted an extensive research project on the impact of the UN World Conference of Human Rights (1993). VOICE International published a practical manuscript she wrote entitled "To Promote and Protect Women's Human Rights: A Handbook of Mobilization Strategies for Women's Non-governmental Organizations." She has also consulted on fundraising and program evaluation and implementation for the Louis August Jonas Foundation, the Artemesia Foundation and Midwives for Midwives/Women's Health International.

Jennifer holds a M.S. in foreign service from Georgetown University and a B.A. in international studies from American University and concentrated her academic studies on international development and human rights.