{"id":519,"date":"2015-07-21T23:27:42","date_gmt":"2015-07-21T23:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kleducation.org\/?p=519"},"modified":"2016-06-16T17:21:48","modified_gmt":"2016-06-16T17:21:48","slug":"young-leaders-gather-at-harvard-for-emerging-global-leaders-conference","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/2015\/07\/young-leaders-gather-at-harvard-for-emerging-global-leaders-conference\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Leaders Gather at Harvard for \u201cEmerging Global Leaders\u201d Conference"},"content":{"rendered":"

Attendees from China, Mexico, and local Massachusetts public schools<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Is \u201cglobalization\u201d mostly good, mostly bad, or somewhere in-between? How can we as consumers use our purchasing power to help lift those in developing countries out of poverty? More broadly: how can people of different cultural backgrounds see beyond their differences to truly forge meaningful connections?<\/p>\n

These were just some of the weighty questions tackled by a group of 130 students and young professionals at the first-annual Emerging Global Leaders Conference, organized by educational consultancy KnowledgeLink and held on July 20 at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass.<\/p>\n

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Participants ranged from 13 to 39 years of age, and had traveled from China, Mexico, and local Massachusetts public schools to attend the conference. The Massachusetts contingent hailed from Leicester, Masconomet Regional, Rockland, Wayland, and Wellesley High Schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing an American ambassador at the Emerging Global Leaders conference was a unique and amazing experience,\u201d said Jaymi-Lyn Souza, a rising senior at Leicester High School. \u201cLearning how to communicate through language barriers provided a glimpse into a new culture, and the skills we developed will aid us in so many aspects of our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The event began with a keynote speech from Poonam Ahluwalia, founder and president of Cambridge, Mass. nonprofit Youth Employment Summit (YES), which strives to bring global youth out of poverty by encouraging entrepreneurship and employment. Ahluwalia spoke on the power of making conscious decisions, whether as a consumer deciding to purchase products from manufacturers who pay their employees a living wage, or as an ambitious young person deciding to believe in the ability to achieve one\u2019s dreams.<\/p>\n

\u201cCreate from the future,\u201d Ahluwalia encouraged the delegates. \u201cImagine yourself having accomplished your goals, and work back in time. Be and find a dream catcher.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Ted Gilman, Executive Director of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, followed with a second keynote address entitled \u201cHow Will Globalization Affect You in Your Lifetime?\u201d After asking the audience what \u201cglobalization\u201d meant to them and receiving mostly positive responses, he challenged the audience to dig deeper and consider the negative repercussions.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour first question should be: who\u2019s benefiting, and who\u2019s losing?\u201d he advised. He then used this framework to explore the issues of migration, nationalism, local cultures, the interplay of large and small businesses, women, and the environment, among others.\u00a0\u201cWhen you engage with other cultures, you will first perceive differences,\u201d he told the audience. \u201cI recommend that you look for the similarities. In my own career, the sport of rugby has been a way for me to create bonds wherever I go.\u201d<\/p>\n

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After each keynote speech, KnowledgeLink instructors led groups of students in breakout activities designed to foster additional discussion and debate around the themes of the day. In these smaller groups, the Chinese, Mexican, and American students were able to exchange their unique perspectives and forge friendships.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis has been a great chance to develop my oral English, as well as meet international friends,\u201d said sixteen year old Ivy Zhong of Shenzhen, China. \u201cI have now decided to come to the US for my college studies.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was so interesting to be in a single classroom with students not only from different countries, but from different schools and of different ages,\u201d remarked twenty four year old Prisciliana Hernandez Velasco of Mexico. \u201cThe discussion topics fit very well with the group.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\"2015.07.20<\/p>\n

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\"2015.07.20<\/p>\n

Tracey Hippert, principal of Leicester High School, reflected on the long-term benefits of the conference for the participants. \u201cWhen students are prepared to work effectively in a global economy, they are better able to think globally, communicate effectively, and contribute responsibly in their society. KnowledgeLink staff made the day exciting and engaging for all the students.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCreating opportunities for students to achieve their academic and professional aspirations in a global context is at the heart of what we do at KnowledgeLink,” said Peter Gangemi, Associate Director of KnowledgeLink. “The students gathered here today have demonstrated great promise as future leaders, and we look forward to seeing all they will go on to accomplish.”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Attendees from China, Mexico, and local Massachusetts public schools Is \u201cglobalization\u201d mostly good, mostly bad, or somewhere in-between? How can we as consumers use our purchasing power to help lift those in developing countries out of poverty? More broadly: how can people of different cultural backgrounds see beyond their differences to truly forge meaningful connections?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=519"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":914,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/519\/revisions\/914"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambridgenetwork.cn\/cambridge-international-en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}