Fall/Winter 2020-2021 Global Leadership Youth Program: An Online Enrichment Series for High School Students

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Tuesday, October 13, 2020 - 12:00am to Tuesday, January 5, 2021 - 12:00am

In partnership with The Center for Excellence in Citizenship at La Jolla Country Day School, we are excited to announce our Fall-Winter 2020-2021 Enrichment Program for High School Students! The weekly programs will include discussions with U.S. and international experts on key foreign policy topics, a diplomacy simulation, and cultural offerings. At the conclusion of each session, participants will earn a Certificate of Excellence in Global Leadership on the topic of the session.
We will offer 5 sessions for Fall/Winter Enrichment programming from October 2020 through January 2021:
Session 1 (October 13-22): INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE TRAFFICKING: Of Poaching, Profits and Tiger Kings
The world currently faces an unprecedented surge in the trafficking of wildlife, threatening both global security and decades of conservation gains. Much like with illegal drugs and arms, dangerous international networks smuggle wildlife and animal parts and products across borders, a trade valued at billions of dollars according to some estimates. While poaching threatens the last of the world’s wild tigers (numbering around 3,890), U.S. audiences are captivated by the bizarre underworld of big cat breeding in the Netflix docuseries Tiger King, which in turn perpetuates the exploitation and suffering of animals for profit.
Session 2 (October 27 – November 5): WORLD HEALTH AND WOMEN: In Sickness and Health – Women’s Access to Healthcare Across the Globe
Women and girls worldwide are confronted by sociocultural factors that can hinder their access to quality healthcare including unequal gender power relationships, social norms that limit quality education and paid employment opportunities, and a higher victimization rate of gender-based violence. Meanwhile, climate change brings new threats that disproportionately affect women’s health. In this session, we will examine the global outcomes of United States foreign policy with a focus on the Mexico City Policy, access to education and reproductive health services, and the role of non-governmental organizations.
Session 3 (November 10-19): OCEAN CONSERVATION: Every Drop Counts – Saving the Big Blue
As Han Solo in Star Wars he traversed the galaxy, but as an ocean conservationist, Harrison Ford knows there is only one planet that we can call home. “If we don’t stop the destruction of our natural world,” he says, “nothing else will matter.” Oceans generate an estimated 50-80% of the oxygen we breathe, regulate global climate patterns, and support many diverse life forms. As such, ocean conservation must be at the forefront of the climate action movement if we are to keep our planet blue. This session will dive into the feasibility of reversing ocean damage, protecting our rich San Diego coastal environment, and supporting global conservation efforts.
Session 4 (December 1-10): JUSTICE, EQUALITY AND CIVIL RIGHTS: With Liberty and Justice for All? – Confronting Racism and Systemic Inequality Worldwide
This year marks the 60th anniversary of four African-American college students who sat in protest at a segregated lunch counter, which in turn inspired Freedom Riders of all races to put their lives at risk registering voters of color. As such, the prominence of the United States’ global leadership placed the triumphs and tragedies of the Civil Rights Movement on the world stage. Today, how can American actions in cooperation with the international community challenge the racial injustice pandemic that grips the globe? This session will examine how both government and citizen-diplomacy can chip away at systemic inequality abroad while also taking a hard look at pervasive racism at home in the United States.
Session 5 (January 5-14): INTERNATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Not For Sale – The Miscreance of Human Trafficking
According to the California Department of Justice, human trafficking is the largest criminal enterprise in the Golden State, with estimated annual profits of $9.5 billion nationally and $150 billion globally. From products in our homes produced by enslaved laborers to a growing underworld sex trade, human trafficking infects our lives on a daily basis. Here in the border city of San Diego, we live in a regional hotspot with approximately 10,000 people having experienced human trafficking. This session will expose the scourge of human trafficking at home and abroad as well as discuss strategies to combat this lucrative illicit industry.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of each session of programming, students will achieve the following:

A nuanced understanding of a timely, global issue
Information about career paths in the field of international affairs and diplomacy
Increased cultural competency and understanding through
Strengthened leadership, negotiation and civic engagement skills
Connections with students and changemakers from across San Diego and across the globe
A Certificate of Excellence in Global Citizenship on the topic of the session

Cost: $130 for a two-week session; $620 for all five sessions
FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO EXPRESS INTERESTED IN REGISTERING FOR ONE OR MORE VIRTUAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS, PLEASE EMAIL [email protected].

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