Martice Sutton, Helping Teen Girls Gain a Global Outlook
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Martice Sutton, 25, has spent the past six years traveling the globe.
"I've been to South Africa, I studied abroad in Barcelona, I've been to Morocco, Paris, London," she notes. "I've hit a total of 20 countries."
And during her travels she noticed that many times, when not on the African continent, she was alone. "I didn't see anyone who looked like me," says Sutton, who is African-American.
After spending a year working with women and girls in India, this Spellman College graduate decided to help the girls from her home neighborhood of West Philadelphia. She founded Girls Going Global, a nonprofit organization that exposes inner-city young women to the world.
She says her concept started with a Powerpoint presentation, then a Facebook page, and then the girls began to sign up.
Sutton arranged "experiential" classes, focusing on a particular country, then created opportunities to immerse them in that country's culture.
"If we did India, for example, they would do yoga classes, Bollywood classes, they would do a museum exhibit," she says.
Sutton soon expanded the program to help the girls get passports and visas. She took a small group of girls to Toronto on a bus for free, thanks to donations.
The next trip was to Costa Rica (below), with a larger group, and parents paying a small fee.
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"I had to stress to parents that global education is important," says Sutton. "This isn't a vacation, it's a learning opportunity. It's not just for fun."
Now, Sutton is raising money through online campaigns, selling t-shirts and more. She says her goal is to operate Girls Going Global full time, focusing on world experiences for girls 13-17, helping them get passports, and expanding their horizons through travel.
"I want them to look at the world in a different way," says Sutton. "I want them to know they are worth it."
Hear the extended interview with Martice Sutton in this CBS Philly podcast (runs 17:01)...
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