GREENWICH, Conn., April 29, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Citizens Initiative (GCI) announced today the launch of its August 2014 Global Citizens Summit for Youth (GCSY) program. Hosted at the Harvard University Faculty Club, 24 high school scholars from around the globe will gather to discuss global citizenship with a focus on "Freedom and Fairness." Generous program contributions include a $50,000 grant from Rakuten, Inc. , a matching-grant from Cook Pine Solutions LLC as well as additional gifts from individuals and global organizations.
"As a global company, our ability to grow and execute depends on our ability to attract and develop a workforce that can understand multiple languages and cultures while having a strong moral compass. Therefore, we feel the responsibility to nurture our next generation by supporting personal, hands-on educational organizations like GCI, which is dedicated to growing Global Citizens," states Hiroshi Mikitani, Chairman and CEO of Rakuten, Inc.
A 501(c)3 organization, GCI was founded in 2011 to inspire families, students and educators to adopt a global and holistic approach to education.
GCI is partnering with Harvard and Phillips Exeter Academy faculty volunteers who will lecture and participate in the GCSY discussion sessions. The summit will incorporate The Good Work Project's curriculum, a unit of Project Zero at Harvard University that focuses on ethics, engagement and excellence. In the end, students will have a deeper understanding of cross-cultural cooperation and will leave with self-developed solutions to global issues that they can take back to their local communities.
Donor support has allowed the summit to be truly inclusive, with a diverse body of participants from more than ten countries, including India, Ethiopia, China, Japan, Rwanda, Afghanistan, Iran, and the USA.
GCI founder, Yumi Kuwana, explains that the GCSY program is designed to spark new ideas and critical thinking. "We decided to make the focus of the program Freedom and Fairness because these concepts mean different things to different people," said Kuwana. "In the countries these scholars represent, the intrinsic meaning of these terms varies. Advancing a dialogue between cultures helps nurture this next generation to be more globally aware."
By staying connected with participating students, GCI will assess the impact of the Summit and will examine attributes of the various educational practices used in its graduates' current classrooms.
Rakuten was joined by other companies from Japan interested in supporting GCSY and encouraging Japanese youth to pursue global opportunities. These include the SAPIX YOZEMI GROUP. Toshiro Takamiya, Co-CEO explained: "In particular we are inspired by the project of immersing our domestic citizens in a multicultural environment. We are privileged with this opportunity to collaborate towards GCI's vision, by using the power of education to inform this ever changing global community."
This is only the beginning of GCI's endeavor. Using the results and lessons learned from the summit, GCI intends to develop a best practice guide for global educators to incorporate into their curricula.
| Global Citizens Summit for Youth Inaugural Program | |
| Harvard Faculty Club, Cambridge, MA USA | |
| August 2 - 9th, 2014 | |
| The Global Citizens Summit for Youth Program (GCSY) is made possible by the generous support and | |
| contributions of the following: | |
| Diamond Global Corporate Sponsor - $50,000 + | |
| Rakuten | |
| Cook Pine Solutions LLC | |
| Gold Corporate Sponsor - $25,000 + | |
| SAPIX YOZEMI GROUP | |
| Valedictorians - $5,000 + | |
| HarvEst Charity Foundation | Janet & Thomas Montag Family |
| Anonymous Donor | Oyagi Family |
| Kathy Matsui | Several Greenwich Family Foundations |
| Masako Mera Memorial Fund | |
| Salutatorians - $2,500 + | |
| Jacquelyn and Gregory Zehner Foundation | Yosuke Honjo |
| The Mule Family Foundation | |
| Deans List - $500 + | |
| Laurie Brecher and Family | Barbara and Matt Golub |
| Cynthia Chang and Brian Scanlan | Karen Hsu |
| Grace and Robert Chen Family | Tina Ju |
| Honor Roll - Up to $500 | |
| Julie Robb and Family | Tomomi Nakamura |
| Dale Atkins and Robert Rosen | Ikuko and Masahisa Mitsunaga |
| Kristen and Dell DeLaMater | Jane and Paul Shang |
| Gail and Victor Khosla | Lynn Roer Shoshani |
| Sheila Matz and Family | Malcolm Thompson |
| Class Leaders - In Kind Donor | |
| First Republic Bank | Gary Moriwaki Esq. |
| Collaborators | |
| The GoodWork Project, PZ at Harvard University | Dana Tung, Phillips Exeter Academy |
| Flossie Chua, PZ at Harvard University | Heidi Johnson, Purple Suitcase |
| Country Road Communication | The Global Citizens Initiative (TGCI) |
| Japanese American Association of NY | |
| Faculty and Speakers | |
| Bruno della Chiesa, Harvard University | Eimer Page, Phillips Exeter Academy |
| Ellen Winner, PZ at Harvard University | Harvard Knowles, Emeritus Phillips Exeter Academy |
| Howard Gardner, Harvard University | Linda Hill, Harvard Business School |
| Jack Meyer, Convexity Capital Managment | Mary Catherine Conroy, Education Resource Development Group |
| Lynn Barendsen, GoodWork Project, PZ at Harvard University | Thomas C. Hayden, Hayden Associates, Education Consulting |
| Richard Schubart, Emeritus Phillips Exeter Academy | |
| Scholars' Enrolled Schools | |
| African Leadership Academy, South Africa | Kherad High School, Teheran, Iran |
| Aga Khan Academy, Kenya | Lycee Mansart, Paris, France |
| Ander Deuna Ikastola, Spain | Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH, USA |
| Andinet International School, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Phillips Exeter Academy, Exeter, NH, USA |
| Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York, NY, USA | SAPIX-YOZEMI GROUP, Tokyo, Japan |
| Canadian Academy, Kobe, Japan | Strathcona Composite High School, Canada |
| Diocesan Girls' School, Hong Kong, China | Taktse School, India |
| Horace Mann, Bronx, NY, USA | Think Global School, World Campus |
| International Academy of Amman, Jordan | |
| Scholars' Home Countries | |
| Afghanistan, China, Canada, Ethiopia, France, India, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, USA | |
| If you are interested in donating to GCSY, please visit www.globalci.org/donate , | |
| email info@globalci.org or call 203-542-7002. | |
Global Citizens Initiative Inc., www.globalci.org Abraham Zamcheck 203-542-7002.
