On June 29, 2009, Carmen Gallegos, Dolna Smithback and Judy Goldberg went to Mystic Seaport, Connecticut for an immersion into the history of American freedom and justice! We are most grateful to the Vessel Foundation for providing this opportunity to expand YMP’s involvement in youth leadership. Our team joined 40 students and teachers from the Global Youth Leadership Institute (GYLI) for an intensive learning experience on the tall ship Amistad. The ship was famous for its role in the Incident of 1839 when slaves overtook the vessel and instigated a long legal process leading to their freedom. The YMP trio recorded stories, sounds and impressions from the deck of Amistad, also known as the “Freedom Ship”. Thanks to an invitation from program founder John Braman of Santa Fe and Matt Nink, executive director of the Global Youth Leadership Institute, YMP participated in workshops about cultural diversity, religious pluralism and collaborative leadership development. We hope this will lead to a long-term relationship with GYLI. Click here to read the story in the Santa Fe New Mexican.