The Merze Tate Explorers has been named a finalist in the GoAbroad Innovation in Diversity award category for its work to expose girls of color to the world. The organization’s Girls Can! Magazine highlights the local and international adventures of girls as young as 12 and is being recognized for innovation and barrier-breaking in international, educational travel.

“When I founded what is now the Merze Tate Explorers (originally known as the Merze Tate Travel Club), my dream was to take girls to all of the places Merze Tate traveled and more. We began humbly by visiting places in our community and eventually branching out into the world. It is an honor to be named among the amazing finalists in this GoAbroad competition,” said Sonya Hollins, founder of the Merze Tate Explorers.

The Explorers was founded in 2008 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, as a Saturday program to expose girls to college and careers through travel and media. As the students visited new places and people, the goal was to write about their adventures for the community through the quarterly Community Voices magazine. Today, the magazine is devoted to youth voices and has been branded, Girls Can! The efforts to expose girls to new possibilities while allowing them to learn how to share those adventures as journalists are why the Explorers were among the finalists in the GoAbroad competition.

Here are the finalists in the Innovation in Diversity category:

Innovation in Diversity

1. AFS-USA, Faces of America Scholarship Program
2. CulturaGo, DEI Modules
3. Global Glimpse, Commitment to Diversity and Equity
4. Merze Tate Explorers, Young, Black, and Abroad: Girls Can!
5. Teach Away, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Symposium & Job Fair

See all of the nominees HERE!

According to GoAbroad’s website, “It has always been our mission to change lives through meaningful travel, one destination and one experience at a time. We believe that travel is the key to individuals attaining a broader perspective of the world and that the world is a better place when people have a deeper understanding and greater empathy toward all individuals and cultures.”

The organization was founded in 1997 to fill the information gap between students wanting to travel abroad and companies offering international programs. Today, they continue to create new resources and share international travel opportunities for students to see the world.

For more information about the Explorers, donating to our efforts, or volunteering your time, please contact Sonya Hollins at 269-359-7895.