Youth Leadership Program with China
August 2014
In partnership with the Department of State and U.S. Embassy Beijing, World Learning and its U.S. community partners (WorldChicago) will host eighteen high school students ages 15-18 and two adult participants from China for a three-week educational exchange opportunity in the United States in August 2014. The U.S. exchange dates are August 7-28. The goals of the program are to promote mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and China; prepare youth leaders to become responsible citizens and contributing members of their communities; influence the attitudes of the leaders of a new generation; and foster relationships among youth from different ethnic, religious, and national groups and create networks of youth leaders, both within the participating countries and internationally. The primary themes for the exchange program are civic education (citizen participation, grassroots democracy, and rule of law); community service; and youth leadership development. The secondary theme for the exchange program is Exploring Community through the Arts. Adult participants will also focus on youth mentorship.
The U.S. Embassy Beijing is playing a crucial role in the program by leading recruitment, selection, and in-country follow-on activities, and by providing regional and cultural expertise, thematic content knowledge, and a wide-reaching network of professional, academic and youth organizations.
The U.S. program begins with a Leadership/Orientation segment at Zephyr Point on Lake Tahoe, where the group will take part in intensive activities in teambuilding, leadership, global issues, art simulations, and civic education workshops. Next, the group will be divided into smaller groups for a host community segment to include a Global Leader Education and Engagement (GLEE) Institute in Chicago, Illinois (WorldChicago) and Seattle, Washington. The GLEE Institutes will directly support the participants’ project plans and will cover community issues and support the overall program goals and themes. The host community segment will also include volunteering, home stays, and cultural events. Finally, the group will reunite in Washington, D.C. for a Synthesis Workshop to make action plans for follow-on activities.