Thank you to everyone who applied for the Global Youth Collaborative '22 - '23 cohort. Applications are now closed. Subscribe to our youth newsletter to stay updated when registration opens for the next GYC cohort.
The San Diego Diplomacy Council is delighted to announce our newest youth program for the 2022-2023 academic year. 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 San Diego Diplomacy Council is delighted to announce our newest youth program for the 2022-2023 academic year. 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.
Open to high school students and recent high school graduates (ages 14-18), the Collaborative will complement SDDC’s summer classroom program, the Global Leadership Youth Program (GLYP), by providing a more immersive leadership experience with engagement throughout the school year. Through four core sessions – two in Fall ‘22 and two in Winter/Spring ’23 – and a range of student-led supplemental activities, participants will have the opportunity to:
Serve as advisors to the Global Leadership Youth Program
Develop new or strengthen existing friendships and connections with peers
Plan activities of interest like meetings, speaker events, community service activities, and school clubs
Tell their stories and leadership journey through publications and digital media;
Explore issues of global concern and how youth can utilize diplomacy, leadership and advocacy
Explore the San Diego community and develop a better understanding of global-local dynamic
Engage with delegations of international current and emerging leaders
Through their participation in the program, students will develop technical skills in digital media, writing and storytelling; gain experience with project management, public speaking/publishing and action planning; hone their critical thinking, leadership, interpersonal and communication skills; and build confidence as leaders with the tools and ability to make a difference in the world. Each participant will earn a Certificate of Excellence in Global Leadership for completing the program – a great addition to a college application.
Cost
There is no cost to students in order to participate in this program.
Program Timeline
Other student-led supplemental activities throughout the October 2022 – June 2023 timeframe will be based on individual student schedules/availability, and may be held online.
Elligibility
Participants must be current high school students for the 2022-2023 academic year or recent high school graduates (graduated from high school in 2022) and committed to attending program sessions and participating in activities as outlined in this announcement. Participants need not reside in San Diego, but must be in San Diego in-person on the relevant dates (listed above) to attend core sessions. Additionally, participants do not need to be GLYP alumni to participate, but previous GLYP participation will be taken into consideration by the selection committee, and GLYP alumni will receive priority.
Commitment
This program requires commitment and dedication from every participant in order to be successful and get the most out of the program. Participants will be expected to attend all four core sessions as outlined in the Program Timeline and faithfully communicate and collaborate with each other and the SDDC team to the best of their ability. In addition to attending the core sessions, the specific time commitment of the program will depend on what students collaboratively develop and plan together, but can be roughly estimated at 2-3 hours per month (excluding the time spent attending the core sessions).
Location and Transportation
Exact locations of sessions are to be determined, but will be held or will begin and end in a public-transportation accessible location of Central San Diego (for example, Downtown, Old Town or Mission Valley). Each core session will start and end in the same location; however, that location may vary across core sessions. Participants are expected to have transportation to and from that location for each session. Some core sessions will involve charter bus transportation from the starting location to other areas of San Diego, and will require participants (when under the age of 18) to obtain parental permission.
Core Session Descriptions
SDDC will create and implement a program consisting of four core sessions, with students playing an active role in planning and organizing these sessions according to their interests. The following provides a framework, with specific speakers and subtopics subject to modification.
Core Session 1: Starting with Self
Leadership as a Process of Self-Discovery and Making a Positive Impact in the World
Our first session will be held Saturday October 29, 2022 from 10am – 3:30pm. It will include a discussion of leadership fundamentals, fun ice-breaker activities, lunch and a digital media and storytelling skills workshop.
Core Session 2: Getting Involved!
Community and Global Engagement
Our second session will be held on Monday, November 21st (the week of Thanksgiving) from 9:30am – 4:30pm. The day will include a workshop focused on advocacy and action planning, a discussion of participant Community Projects, lunch, and site visits to local organizations with a global focus.
Note: A possible alternative date for this second core session is Friday, December 2nd from 9:30am – 4:30pm (a regular school day). Holding the session on this date would necessitate students missing a day of school. SDDC would provide a note of explanation and justification for the absence, and students would need to seek permission from their parents and school to be excused from school. Please indicate your availability and preference for this option on the online application form.
Core Session 3: Communication is Key
Effective Communication Strategies
This session will be held on a weekday in February/March 2023 from 9:30 am – 4:30 pm, with the specific date to be determined based on participant schedules. The day is expected to include a visit to a local university to explore effective engagement in civic discourse, lunch, a discussion with a local journalist on disinformation in the media, and a “You Be the Diplomat” negotiation techniques activity.
Core Session 4: The Main Event
Participants will present their Community Projects to their peers, followed by a globally-themed reception and speaker event. This session and event will be held on a weekday in the late-afternoon and early evening in March/April 2023, with the specific date to be determined based on participant schedules.
