By SDDC Program Intern, Andrew Steck

22 students. 4 sessions. 1 global leadership vision.

On October 29^th the San Diego Diplomacy Council hosted our first Global Youth Collaborative session, a wonderful and interactive start to our new school-year program that will develop and strengthen future global leaders in San Diego and beyond.

What is the Global Youth Collaborative?

Building on the success of GLYP Summer ’22, the Global Youth Collaborative creates a space for globally-minded teens to connect, collaborate with peers, and formulate innovative solutions to global challenges, empowering them as global citizens and leaders equipped to make a positive impact in the world.

The 2022-23 cohort of 22 students will participate in four core GYC sessions—two in Fall and two in Winter/Spring. These sessions will be facilitated with and by San Diego Diplomacy Council staff and partners to provide students with the opportunity to: serve as GLYP advisors, connect with peers, plan activities of global interest, tell their stories and leadership journeys, discuss global issues, explore the San Diego-global dynamic, and engage with international leaders.

First Core Session—Leadership and Digital Storytelling

We started the first session with a Leadership Workshop led by San Diego Public Library Director, Misty Jones, who taught students the importance of disequilibrium and adaptivity in leadership. Through personal narrative and the creation of a safe space for open discussion, students were introduced to the Passions Hexagon activity. The Passions Hexagon was used as a tool for unearthing students’ foundational passions which they narrowed down individually and communicated how it guides their leadership journey.

Following lunch at the Park & Market Outdoor Pavilion, we jumped into an energetic Digital Media and Storytelling Workshop led by Outside the Lens Media Educators, Lanae King and Anna Loretan. We began with a hands-on activity exploring the mechanics of cameras and foundational photographic concepts with real Cannon cameras. Drawing inspiration from filmographic and photographic artists such as Dmitry Kokh, students approached the story of climate change from a different lens. They were presented with the photographs of polar bears forced to live on land due to rising sea level temperatures, which prompted discussion that critically analyzed concepts of truth in visual media.

Then, using certain photography genres as a guide, students utilized the tools Lanae and Anna taught to create a Personal Digital Storytelling Project that influenced the way they approach visual communication. The skill of storytelling encourages critical analysis of your view of the world by way of publishing your Personal Artist Statements.

Acknowledging leadership

Students were able to visualize and brainstorm their future leadership journeys through these workshops. Acknowledging leadership style and telling your story in a passionate, convincing, and educated manner is a critical skill for future leaders, and our partners did an incredible job bringing this to life. Students voiced their passions for: development and diplomacy in their home countries, emergency services, entertainment and tourism, politics and government, history, media, neuroscience, writing, music, climate change, activism, spoken word, cardiovascular surgery, travel, criminal science, trade works, nonprofit leadership, research, community service, developing technology, and creative leadership.

Both workshops complemented each other and actualized students’ leadership styles and passions with a newfound skill of creatively storytelling their passion. Our next session is on November 21^st, titled Getting Involved! Community and Global Engagement. The day will include a workshop focused on advocacy and action planning, the launch of participant Action Planning Projects, lunch, and site visits to local organizations with a global focus.

Thanks to the San Diego community!

We extend our incredible appreciation and thanks to our partners for the first session—UCSD Park and Market, the San Diego Public Library, and Outside the Lens. The SDDC promotes collaboration and relationship-building between organizations in San Diego to extend our collective impact. We hope our 2022-23 GYC cohort learns from every special organization we work with over the next year. We are fortunate to have such vibrant connections with organizations eager to work with youth and our future global leaders.

Be on the lookout for more GYC news later this month and next year!

By SDDC Program Intern, Andrew Steck