UPCOMING PROJECTS 2013
Kosovo Youth Exchange Program: Home Hosts are Needed!
CCWA will host up to ten student leaders from Kosovo over the 2013-2014 academic year. Home hosts are needed (for one year, or for one semester) in order to realize this program.
WHAT IS KYEP?
KYEP is an exchange program for accomplished high school students from Kosovo. The program is funded by the U.S. Embassy in Kosovo, and run by the Cleveland Council on World Affairs (CCWA). Mayfield High School and Magnificat High School hosted three KYEP students during the 2012-13 academic year. These three student leaders excelled academically, made lasting friendships, and participated in extracurricular activities and community service. Current KYEP students and hosts agree that the experience of living together has been the most important and most rewarding part of the KYEP experience.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
Join KYEP next year! Families who are interested in other cultures, open to new experiences, and interested in making a lifelong friend should apply. Districts and school communities of particular interest include: Berea City Schools, Cleveland Heights-University Heights City Schools, Magnificat High School, Mayfield City Schools, and St. Edward High School. To apply, please visit our KYEP website: www.ccwakyep.org. The application deadline is May 25, 2013.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Madeline Rife, Global Youth Programs Officer, at mrife@ccwa.org or 216-255-9007.
June
Youth Councils: Empowering Youth as Change Agents
June 6th-11th, 2013
Youth Councils: Empowering Youth as Change Agents is intended to bring together a regionally diverse cross-section of Youth Council members from posts worldwide. The participants will discuss best practices and creative ideas in advancing the role of young people in addressing the challenges and opportunities they face. The project will also focus on helping the participants to implement action plans for youth-led campaigns, or projects in their communities, upon their return.
Specific goals include the following:
• To examine the role of youth in civic, political, and economic sectors in the U.S. and the techniques used by U.S. civil society, government, and private sector organizations to engage with youth;
• To explore linkages between entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, and activism;
• To discuss best practices for fundraising and sustainability for youth-designed projects and programs; and
• To observe a variety of new media and social networking tools that facilitate civic action, outreach, and youth empowerment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ryan Ouellette, International Visitors Program Officer, at rouellette@ccwa.org or 216-255-9008.
LGBT NGO Management and Social Diversity
June 9th-12th, 2013
LGBT NGO Management and Social Diversity is a two day program for our guests that will focus on Cleveland's unique resources that serve the LGBT community as well as strategies and techniques for management of non-profit and non-governmental organizations.
Specific goals include the following:
• To discuss social and cultural approaches to gender and sexual orientation identities in society;
• To observe how organizations monitor, influence, and advocate for human and civil rights policy at the local, state, national, and international levels;
• To explore equal access to educational, economic and healthcare opportunities for citizens with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations;
• To examine the role of community-based nonprofit organizations in providing social services and support to the most vulnerable segments of the LGBT community in the United States;
• To study best practices for non-profit/NGO management, including organizational management, strategic planning, working with volunteers, social media, financial oversight and fundraising
• To gain insight into public policy initiatives and private sector efforts to promote the advancement of women in a variety of sectors; and
• To illustrate how women leaders network effectively with their peers to support one another and to advance individually.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ryan Ouellette, International Visitors Program Officer, at rouellette@ccwa.org or 216-255-9008.
U.S. Perspectives on the Impact of Shale Gas
June 23rd-26th, 2013
U.S. Perspectives on the Impact of Shale Gas is a program that will host visitors from Ukraine to learn about citizen activist and environmental protection groups that organize around shale gas issues, and learn how they work with local government and industry to discuss their viewpoints and share ideas. The focus of these meetings is not only to talk about potential issues felt by these groups, but also how they address this issue and get out their message. We would also like the visitors to learn about economic opportunities available to the state in attracting energy businesses, and explore innovations.
Project Goals:
• Discuss the benefits and challenges of shale gas development in the United States;
• Explore national, state, and local policies on and oversight of shale gas production;
• Examine the impact of shale gas development on communities and the environment; and
• Meet with companies, government agencies, citizen groups, and non-government organizations who work on issues related to shale gas.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Ryan Ouellette, International Visitors Program Officer, at rouellette@ccwa.org or 216-255-9008.
July
Jóvenes en Acción Youth Exchange Program
CCWA will host up to fifteen student leaders from Mexico from July 20-August 1. Home hosts are needed in order to realize this program.
Jóvenes en Acción provides Mexican students in their sophomore or junior year of high school the opportunity to visit the United States and develop leadership skills. Students participate in service-learning and leadership activities.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
Families who are interested in other cultures, open to new experiences, and interested in making a lifelong friend should apply to host. To apply, please use our online application form, or contact Madeline Rife at mrife@ccwa.org. The application deadline is June 25, 2013.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Contact Madeline Rife, Global Youth Programs Officer, at mrife@ccwa.org or 216-255-9007.