Global Scholar | International Relations Summer Program for High School Students

Global Scholar is an international relations intensive program that builds the knowledge and skills high school students need to make social change on a local and global scale. Through hands-on learning and meetings with leading policy experts, Global Scholar empowers young and emerging leaders to become change makers on their campuses and in their communities.

Recent graduates of the program have gone on to lead student organizations; work for international organizations, the UN, the State Department and more; participate in prestigious gap year and language programs; and enroll at top institutions like Harvard, Columbia, the University of Chicago, McGill University, and more. Most importantly: they’ve developed a good sense of how they can have an impact on issues they care about, and launched their careers with a firm sense of purpose and strong set of skills to succeed.

2020 American University Dates:

Session 1 (Grades 11-12): June 28-July 10, 2020

Session 2 (Grades 9-10): June 28-July 10, 2020

Session 3 (Grades 11-12): July 12-July 24, 2020

Session 4 (Grades 9-10): July 12-July 24, 2020

* Sessions are for students entering these grades (or equivalent) in fall 2020.

About Global Scholar

Founded in 2006, AMP Global Youth created Global Scholar as an immersive global leadership program for young achievers eager to build a more just and sustainable world. Based at American University in Washington, D.C., this small, selective program informs and empowers young global leaders – right in the city where policy gets made.

Global Scholar is a program of AMP Global Youth, which was founded in 2002 by students at Yale with the goal of helping students explore the US role in the world following 9/11.

The Global Scholar Approach

Global Scholar offers a unique curriculum that combines intimate policy seminars and panels from foreign policy experts with our carefully curated hands-on training workshops. This gives Global Scholars the robust knowledge and marketable skills to become successful students, citizens, leaders, change makers, and professionals in our increasingly globalized world. Over the course of two weeks, Global Scholars participate in:

Policy Seminars led by experts working on key global challenges. Past seminars have included: “Promoting Human Rights, and the Development of Women and Girls Worldwide” and “The Global Financial System: the Role of Corporations, Banks, Donors, and the International Financial Institutions”.
Expert panel discussions with/from foreign policy experts representing top government bodies and independent organizations. Past speakers have included the U.S. Department of State, the World Bank, the United Nations Foundation, the Brookings Institution, Oxfam America, the Aspen Institute, CARE, the Global Campaign for Education, and many more.
Training workshops that build powerful skills including public speaking, problem analysis, persuasive writing, strategic planning, team building, media literacy, diversity & inclusion, arts and activism, and more.
And so much more… Learn about a typical Day in the Life of Global Scholar and about the Global Scholar curriculum.

AMP Global Scholar - Sofia Quote

AMP Global Youth has 15 years of experience empowering youth to understand and speak out about global issues. More than 100,000 students have participated in our various programs. Throughout the years, Global Scholar alumni have continued to engage with our rapidly growing network of global student leaders. You can read more about Global Scholar’s impact here.

Apply to be a Global Scholar! Spots are limited and applications will only be accepted until the program is full. Tuition and scholarship information can be found here. Check out what our Global Scholar alumni have to say about Global Scholar in this short video!

Global Scholar 2019 Speakers and Sessions Included:

New York City
Access to Education. Jennifer Rigg, Executive Director, Global Campaign for Education

Unifying the Playing Field: Local and Global Movements to Advance the Right to Education. Ford Foundation

Understanding the United Nations and the SDGs. Charlotte Platt and Johan Rifai, UN Foundation

Challenges to Global Health. Doctors Without Borders

Water Access. Annalise Bourgeois, Charity: Water

Financing for International Development. Oliver Schwank, Senior Economic Advisor, United Nations

Global and Nuclear Security. Karim Kamel, Carnegie Corporation

Careers in International Affairs. Sampson Oppedisano, The New School and Aisha Mitchell, Global Health Corps

Understanding Immigration Challenges. Ella Nimmo, Cabrini Immigrant Services

Protecting and Promoting Human Rights: Women’s and indigenous Rights. Fadimata Walet Inorene, Save the Children and Grace Fernandes, STAND Now

Journalism and Digital Privacy. Jennifer Valentino Devries, The New York Times

Interfaith Organizing and Action. Frank Fredericks, WorldFaith

Washington, DC
Perspectives in Human Rights. Bama Athreya, Brookings Institution

Youth & Global Health. Nicole Gill, Advocates for Youth

Conversation with Ambassador Liberata Mulamula. Ambassador Liberata Mulamula, Former Tanzanian Ambassador to the US

Advancing Human Rights: Perspectives from the Grassroots. Fadimata Walet Inorene, Save the Children and Grace Fernandes, STAND Now

Embassy of Cameroon

Nuclear Security. Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Brookings Institution

Access to Education. Jennifer Rigg, Executive Director, Global Campaign for Education

The United Nations and Sustainable Development Goals. Taylor Gates, UN Foundation and Anna Mahalak, Youth Engagement Manager, United Nations

Understanding the World Bank. Nadia Merdassi, Program Officer, World Bank

Embassy of Belgium

Immigration and Refugees. Josh Utter, Jesuit Refugee Services

Global Poverty and Inequality. Ken Patterson, RESULTS JRS

Climate Change. Tan Copsey, Climate Nexus

Careers in International Affairs Panel I. Mo Alem, Young Invincibles, Parul Agarwal, World Bank and Briana Suarez, APSIA

Careers in International Affairs Panel II. Brionne Dawson, US Chamber of Commerce, Mariya Ilyas, US Department of State, Gordon Wong, ONE Campaign and Briana Suarez, APSIA

Climate & Security. Neil Bhatiya, Center for a New American Security

International Development in Africa. Kwaku Nuamah, American University

Global Poverty and US Foreign Assistance. Gordon Wong, ONE Campaign

US Department of State. Deborah Schneider and Jasmine White Gibson, US Department of State

Global Security. Greg Gershuny, Energy and Environment Program, Aspen Institute, David Forscey, Cyber and Technology Program, Aspen Institute and Jonathan Price, Aspen Strategy Group, Aspen Institute

Embassy of Colombia

Frederick Douglass House

Supporting Children and Ending Hunger. Rachel Merker, First Focus

Embassy of Niger. Ambassador Abdallah Wafy, Embassy of Niger

Mexican Cultural Institute. Sebastian Corrales, Public Relations Officer, Embassy of Mexico

Meet our program directors, Vanessa and Karen!