<p><span class="p-body">Recently, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) and the City in the Community NY (CITC), the nonprofit foundation and charitable arm of New York City FC, collaborated on a Youth Innovation and Sport Day. The day served as a forum focused on the impact of major sports events, such as the FIFA World Cup, and on innovation in sports, including artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">The Youth Innovation and Sport Day brought together attendees from the Foundation's Youth Leadership Summit, held the same week. Participants of the summit were young leaders from FIFA World Cup 2026 host cities across the United States taking part in leadership development, community football training, innovation and workforce programming, and youth-led project development designed to strengthen the next generation of community leaders across the country.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">In addition, 38 students from across NYU SPS, NYU Abu Dhabi, and NYU Shanghai participated in the Youth Leadership Summit. Also, several high school students in the <a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/high-school-academy.html">NYU SPS High School Academy’s</a> <a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/high-school-academy/programs/career-edge.html">Career Edge Summer Program</a> <a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/high-school-academy/programs/career-edge/courses/HIGH1-CE9166.html">course on the World Cup</a> attended the first morning session during the Youth Innovation and Sport Day.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">“This Youth Innovation and Sport Day reflects what City in the Community believes the FIFA World Cup can achieve at its best: using the global spotlight of the tournament to create meaningful local opportunity,” said Bailee Eaglin, CITC executive director. “By connecting young people with civic leaders, industry experts, and one another, we’re helping turn a global sporting moment into leadership, workforce pathways, and lasting community impact.”&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">NYU SPS also supported the summit by providing on-campus accommodations for participants and by designing programming led by NYU faculty, practitioners, and industry experts. The collaboration builds on nearly a decade of programming delivered in partnership with CITC and NYU SPS, using soccer, sport, and technology as tools for learning, leadership, and community impact.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span class="p-body">“Partnering with City in the Community NY allows us to take education beyond the classroom. For example, over the past several years, we have collaborated on a <a href="https://www.newyorkcityfc.com/video/documentary-inside-nycfc-nyu-s-groundbreaking-podcast-course-5970059066001#documentary-inside-nycfc-nyu-s-groundbreaking-podcast-course-5970059066001">podcasting course</a> for high school students,” said Mary Killilea, associate dean of Academic Affairs and Innovation at NYU SPS. “Global events, like the World Cup, provide an extraordinary opportunity to make a lasting change in our cities. Our collaboration on the summit, along with our industry-connected <a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/about/academic-divisions-and-departments/preston-robert-tisch-institute-for-global-sport.html">NYU SPS Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport</a> faculty participating in the youth forum, will help turn passion for sport into real, measurable local action.”</span></p>

<p>The Youth Innovation and Sport Day reflects CITC and NYU SPS’s shared commitment to turning the energy of the FIFA World Cup into a meaningful opportunity for young people. Through leadership development, community football training, workforce programming, and direct engagement with faculty, civic partners, and industry experts, the day will help equip young leaders with the skills, connections, and experience to strengthen their communities long after the tournament.&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>“Sports play such an important role in shaping the way people live and work in communities around the world,” said <a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/faculty-directory/10667-lee-h-igel.html">Lee Igel,</a> a clinical professor at the NYU SPS Tisch Institute for Global Sport, who helped develop the agenda for Youth Innovation and Sport Day. “Participating in the summit is an opportunity for young leaders to learn a playbook for advancing what they are already doing to build the future of the places they call home.”&nbsp; &nbsp;</p> <p>Alongside Lee Igel, other NYU faculty who participated in the summit included:</p> <p><b>NYU ABU Dhabi</b></p> <ul class='p-list'> <li>Fabio Piano</li> </ul> <p><b>NYU SPS Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport</b></p> <ul class="p-list"> <li><a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/faculty-directory/21452-herbert-hill.html">Herbert Hill</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/faculty-directory/21385-marsha-gaye-s-knight.html">Marsha Gaye-Knight</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.sps.nyu.edu/faculty-directory/20749-lindsay-krasnoff.html">Lindsay Krasnoff</a></li> </ul>