Our Impact

• The Global Scholar experience is informative, impactful, and fun. A program that truly inspires you to make changes that benefit the world, while simultaneously making unforgettable connections.
• The best leadership program ever, one hell of an experience, can’t be more grateful for it, I encourage everyone to apply next year because the curriculum, the friendships, the skills we learned here we would never get it anywhere else in this short time.
• I went into this not really knowing what to expect; but it did surprise me in a good way. Throughout, I have met amazing youth leaders that have inspired and showed me how youth can actively make change. I also got to meet an amazing diverse group of people in my age group to have these tough conversations with.
• The experience made me very reflective of my own life, conscious of my choices and values—it will impact how I live my life and move throughout the world. It’s an unconventionally structured program that uses Action Labs and guest speaker interactions to teach skills needed as a Global Citizen, as well as show different potential life paths as an activist or diplomat.
• Amazing! So many speakers and field trips taken — I likely wouldn’t have met these people or gone to these places without Global Scholars. The program agenda was so unique, specialized, and inspiring, with many of my favorite parts being the action labs we did together. I was exposed to so much about global activism and international relations, and different realms of advocacy that I could get involved in as a student. On top of that, the bonds built with the other students is unmatched, factoring in our likemindedness and similar interests with just our everyday personalities. I learned so much from the expertise of the adults in the program as well as the diverse experiences of the other scholars.
• I think that this programme was one of the best ones that I have ever attended. It gave me a lot of knowlede about our world, activism but also about myself. Thanks to this programmes I also gained access to infomation and opportunities that I would have never found myself. Moreover, I think that some people that I met in the programme will become my life long friends.
• I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in global scholars! It really opened my eyes to ways that I can take action rather then simply unhappily watching issues unfold in front of me.
• It was a great life-changing experience, I met so many amazing individuals and I really appreciate that I had an opportunity to exchange my ideas with them. I was able to change my values and get new perspectives on important things that are valuable in my personal and professional life. I was privileged to talk to influential speakers and get insights on how to start my own projects, interact with people, and make a difference, even a small one.
• it was amazing! this was the first time i’ve ever done anything like this, and i’m glad THIS was the program i got to participate in! i learned so much about social change and it’s connection to art, which is exactly what i hoped i’d get out of it. despite it being an informative and educational experience, i was still able to have fun and form connections with my peers and facilitators. i’d tell a friend that it’s a great way to spend their summer + an amazing resource for learning how to make change as a youth activist/activist in general and forming connections with those who can help you.
• The Global Scholar Experience was really fun and engaging. It opened up a discussion to comfortably talk about global conflicts and how (with a project) we can aid this issue locally. We had a lot of fun during the excursions as well and the people were extremely nice and easy to talk to.

• Global Scholar doesn’t teach you how to change the world–it teaches you how to change yourself, to then change the world even more. This week was amazing. I grew so much, both in the ways I interact with others and with myself.
• Global Scholar was an experience that you cannot get anywhere else. The passionate staff, absolutely wonderful speakers, and friendly scholars are just a small number of things that made this program unique. I cannot put into words how grateful I am to have been accepted into the program, and especially since I live in South Korea where summer programs in English are limited, I am extra grateful that Global Scholar was available to students like me.
• I would tell a friend that this program offered me so much motivation by making me see that change is not as difficult as it may seem, and that making change is possible with the right effort.
• It was an amazing program that motivates you to be a changemaker.
• It was amazing to meet other young people who care about the same issues as me, to hear great guest speakers and learn so much from the action labs with Aris and Vanessa.
• It exceeded my expectations by so much. For just 2 weeks, I made friends I think I will keep for a long time and what we learned, it wasn’t all new info, but it was looking at things in a new light, which was really inspiring to me.
• I had a lot of fun and learned a lot throughout the program. Through the action labs and breakout sessions and guest speakers, I got to engage with the other people that are part of the session and learn about global issues. I would tell a friend that I learned to think through new perspectives and look at the world in different views.
• The program was a one of a kind experience, I’m super glad I got into the program (whoever agreed for me to be a Global Scholar, thank youu!). Appreciated all the mentors and speakers and I wish it was a bit longer and if I could rate this program from 1-10, I would rate it 11 <3
• This program will introduce you to so many important global ideas, but most importantly other teens who want to create positive change in the world! You will be tested and LEARN!
• Global Scholar opened my mind to the interconnected nature of not just global issues and their solutions, but humanity itself. We have so much to relate over, and we saw this through the program participants themselves, who were from all over the globe! I would tell a friend that the Global Scholar experience entails both a welcoming, open environment and an opportunity to express oneself and learn from one another.
• I am so grateful to have been a part of Global Scholar this year. I would tell a friend that if they were interested in International Relations and Social Justice issues, they should definitely apply for this program.
• My Global Scholar experience is probably the most gratifying experience that I’ve had. Being able to learn and grow over these past two weeks has been absolutely fantastic. I would tell my friend that they should attend IMMEDIATELY!
• I would say that the Global Scholar experience is one that allowed me to connect to an unforgettable group of friends. Everyone there was a natural listener. I have never felt more at home in a group.

Eye-opening and enriching!

The program motivates and encourages you to go forward and change the world. It shows you how you actually have an impact in a world where we are told so often that it’s a hopeless world.

I would tell a friend it is run by great staff and is a well thought out and developed course like no other

This summer program was life-changing for me, I really learned a lot from the program. I am grateful that I got the opportunity to attend this program, it’s something I can take full advantage of and share with my colleagues. I met new friends, peer mentors, coordinators, and representatives from big organizations.

Global Scholar is a welcoming community where your opinions will be challenged, and your horizons expanded.

An experience that opens up your mind allowing you to truly see beyond your bubble while also making great friends and having fun all day long.

Global Scholar was the best thing I’ve ever participated in. It challenged me and it changed me and I learned so much throughout the program. I also got to meet so many amazing, interesting, and talented people. I got to make connections with people in the IR field and will carry what I learned in this program with me throughout the rest of my life.

It was so great, I learned so much, meet a lot of cool people, and listened to so many great speakers.

It was very exciting and insightful! I learned a lot and met a lot of amazing people!

I personally loved the experience. It was incredible to take part in, and meeting everyone was great too.

I would tell a friend that in Global Scholar, you get to be in touch with and listen to people who either help with or experience the issues that we seem to only hear about. Listening to these speakers really puts a whole new light onto certain issues and subjects

It was eye-opening. The entire experience created new perspectives and views on global issues that I didn’t know anything about. I would tell a friend that it is life-changing.

It’s an incredibly comfortable and safe place to talk about literally anything at all, but particularly global issues and politics. There are always people that will agree with you and back you up, but there are also always people that will disagree, and this has produced incredibly insightful conversations on certain topics with views from different angles. It’s not often that we have a place full of people that are willing to talk about heavy and controversial topics, but Global Scholar was able to provide me with that. Additionally, every facilitator and peer mentor was so friendly and outgoing, and understanding. I find that I often stress about having to interact with new people (and authority figures in particular) because I worry that they’ll be hard to approach or completely inflexible, but I had no such issues with this program. Everyone involved is so positive and ready to cheer you on in any endeavor you pursue or view that you hold. Additionally, I met so many educated minds that were able to teach me more about topics that I already thought I knew about.

There aren’t many things that keep me engaged online for long, but virtual Global Scholar was actually so much fun and insightful and kept me focused.

This program was the most amazing virtual experience I’ve ever had. The staff is fantastic, the speakers are informative, and the scholars are so thought-provoking and really force you to look outside yourself from a different perspective. The Action Labs are so amazing, they made me think so hard and about so many different things. I’ll always remember the lessons I got here.

Each student in the program is like a water drop and AMP brings us together to form a stream. The experience was great, I not only learned a lot but also met so many peers who also want to make the world a better place, and that’s just fantastic.

Be prepared to have the best existential crisis of your life! I learned how I am part of the global problems. That awareness in itself has allowed me to view my interactions with the world differently and try my best to be part of the solution.

This was a wonderful experience. I learned so much about how many ways there are to be involved in making change and about the companies and programs doing just that. Hearing people speak about what they really cared about it made me want to care about those issues too. Truly this program opened my eyes to so much of what’s going on in the world and what people are doing to try to improve it.

This was the first in what will probably be many IR focused things I will do. I’ve met the most amazing people, gotten to talk to the most amazing friends, and it’s something I’ll always remember 🙂

It was so amazing to meet young students like me who are interested in international affairs, engaged in the issues, and eager to take action for change.

I loved this camp so much and the two weeks went by so fast! I have learned so much, and you all have given me the resources to make change, such as contacting my legislator and setting up our project. I would tell my friend that this is a great experience for anyone that is even remotely interested in global issues and making a positive difference in the world.

The Global Scholar experience literally gave me the resources and guts to actually THINK about making change in my own community and break past the barriers I thought were in the way. It connects you with so many passionate people and allows you to reach beyond what you thought was capable in the past. The speakers and their stories really reach your heart and give you life lessons that you can carry on throughout your life!

The Global Scholar experience, although online, was really fun and insightful. I was able to meet people my age with interests like mine and hear from a variety of speakers from the career I would like to pursue.

Global Scholar 2020 was an invaluable experience which inspired me to be an engaged, passionate, bold, and diverse-minded change-maker across global systems. Through learning how to analyze complex systems, practicing diversity and inclusion, and expanding my understanding of empathy and dialogue, I have come to understand how to meaningfully and effectively address pressing global issues like climate change and COVID-19.

To those looking to join this wonderful program: Don’t be afraid of adversity. Be open to growth. And, prepare to understand how to create profound impacts across systems, institutions, and communities on issues of importance to you.

Global Scholar, even though it was online this year, really changed my perspective of the world. I found myself walking away from each session with a newfound optimism, a new lesson, a new passion for a certain issue. The coordinators are ineffably fantastic. They are always there to support you and are both your mentors and your friends. Being pretty introverted sometimes, I didn’t expect to meet new people, but I can confidently say that I’ve made some very good friends that I will stay in touch with for a long time.

Global Scholar was truly an incredible experience. I never thought I would become so emotionally invested with a group of leaders from around the world through a computer screen. The conversations we’ve had and the memories we’ve made are ones that I will never forget.

I learned so much from this program and made so many more friends. I joined with all these scholars who have the same ideas and interests as me which made this program so fun. The staff make many funny jokes and during the breaks, we talk about the craziest things. Global Scholar made me step out of my comfort zone and made me feel like I stepped into a new place to let my ideas roam free.

It’s an unforgettable experience. You will learn so much and have tons of fun at the same time.

Global Scholar was a really wonderful program that opened my eyes to different ways to make change and think about the systems that make up our world.
I loved the people and the places we went.

I really enjoyed this program – you’ll get to meet lots of really interesting people and learn about careers and topics you never knew existed. Wonderful choice for anyone hoping to think deeply about the world and their role in it.

Global Scholar was an engaging, interesting, and and insightful experience

It was an unforgettable once-in-a-lifetime experience that I wouldn’t have been able to receive anywhere else– more than anything I could’ve ever imagined going into the program.

Global Scholars was a fantastic experience both in how it exposed me to information and ideas of which I care deeply and want to continue thinking about as well as introducing me to similar minded, intelligent students that provide fascinating perspectives and wonderful company.

The people made the experience wholesome and complete.

The Action Labs challenged my understanding about myself, my community, and those surrounding me. I now have a greater grasp of others’ outlooks after discussing personal and deep topics regarding race, sexual orientation, gender, and other forms of inequalities with the 30 other scholars. I no longer have the fear to engage in dialogue with those I may disagree with, while still maintaining a civil behavior because of Global Scholar’s safe space.

This experience has been eye opening and I learned so much is such little time. This program was loads of fun and the action labs were very informative and engaging. I would tell a friend this program is fun but can get quite real and serious but that they’ll learn a lot of things.

Global Scholar was extreme fun and inspiring. I have gotten to know so many people and have realized my true potential.

Global Scholar was the best thing, in my opinion, that I could’ve done to further my knowledge on IR. I made so many great friends and hope to see all of them go far in life.
The program allowed me to explore every field in international affairs. I would tell a friend that this is a great experience to meet passionate and inspirational people. It opened up my mind to see what I was capable of knowing and doing.

I really enjoyed the Global Scholar experience. I was able to learn a lot more about the complexity of world issues and their solutions, along with meeting a lot of great friends. I would definitely tell a friend to apply.

I would tell a friend that Global Scholar was a great experience for the high school journey especially if thinking of a future in global work, international relations, policy, or just helping others/making change. I would tell them how it really helped clear up my idea of a future career in my head, and I met some amazing and very smart people with great ideas.

Overall the experience was great. I grew more confidence when it came to communication . I was given the opportunity to meet a lot of people and I learned a lot of things from the whole program . I grew a bond with all the other scholars and teachers . We didn’t just learn we also played games and activities. The experience was overall fun and amazing.

I absolutely loved the program. I would tell a friend about how we take public transportation all over the city and have conversations with experts and professionals.
Global Scholar was an educational and eye-opening experience. The Action Labs and DC visits taught me a lot. The instructors were extremely supportive and helpful throughout the program, which made it much easier to adjust to the new environment. Finally, the fellow Scholars were amazing and I formed many close friendships.
Global Scholars opens your eyes to issues and solutions you’d never have dreamed about until this point. It makes you take those vital steps back to look at the bigger picture and identify the roots of what you are seeing. Something so seemingly complex can be a little more manageable that way, and speaks to the inter connectivity of all that surrounds us.

When I left Global Scholar early Sunday morning, it had not hit me that the program was over. The realization happened once I sat in the airplane. I haven’t attended any summer programs before Global Scholar, but AMP surpassed all of my expectations. When I first arrived, I was nervous and unsure of what to say or how to act. I spent the first day walking around in a new environment with complete strangers, making as much small talk as I could. It was only until our first reflection as a group when I realized AMP was worth it.

For me, the connections and conversations that I made with the other students and coordinators surpassed many of the meetings with the actual speakers. I would tell a friend to listen and participate as much as they can, during both reflections and meetings, even if they are hesitant, because it will be worth it in the end.

You have to be committed and willing to step out of your Comfort zone. I personally loved the program because I got explosive things that help me create a path for my future.

Besides the learning bit, I believe the people were a perk. I was fortunate to meet people that I now value as amazing friends.

Global Scholar was incredible. It’s not often you get to meet and bond with so many different people coming from all across the country and even globe. It is a fast pace program that I think needs a passionate person about world issues to absorb all of the information. However, I believe the intensity of it is what made the speakers and workshops that much more exciting.

I enjoyed the experience a lot! Some of the experiences really changed the way I view my own future and it opened a lot of possibilities as well as changed the way I perceive the world.

It was a truly great experience.

This program excites imagination and a drive to want to make a difference locally and globally. Even more than just expanding my knowledge on international relations, it really made me question my judgements and what I consider normal. I had to reflect n my own actions a lot and noticing my own flaws that I didn’t even know I had forced me to think about certain issues more carefully. I grew a lot as a person over the trip.

I have learned so much and understood things from different people. I have become more aware of my actions and the impact I can have. I also realized how much power I have to make change and that I shall not let anyone stop me from achieving my goals. Of course I would tell a friend.

Global Scholar was a completely different experience than I thought it would be. It was not sitting in a desk all day, watching someone else speak at you. It was visiting organizations, meeting the changemakers and learning about their impact in Southeast Asia, Rwanda, Cameroon, and so on. It was asking your role models questions, pressing them on issues that even they may be unfamiliar with, and visiting your representatives offices on Capital Hill, because they work for you!

The Global Scholar experience is nothing like I expected. I expected to be bombarded with knowledge about international policy, political leaders, and a multitude of different organizations. And while yes we did a bit of that, it was not all we did. We built our emotional intellect, we spoke with each other which in itself is an education of sorts, and although at first my heart was not happy with the lack of statistical information, as the time went on, I realized I learned something much more valuable: how to be a global citizen in our world: how to promote change: how to voice my opinions while appreciating others: how to recognize that not all accomplished people have accomplished much. IF you don’t know what global citizen ship is then I guess you have to come and find out what it means and how to be one.

It was a truly immersive program that allowed me – hopefully others too – to understand international relations and global citizenship firsthand through interactive activities and meeting professionals in the sector, as well as issues that arise from these topics and how to brainstorm solutions. Plus, it enabled me to get perspectives from other backgrounds of life allowing me to expand my open-mindedness and learn about societies’ systems other than mine.

I was fortunate to meet people that I now value as amazing friends.

AMP Global Scholar was an experience I would never trade for any other. It is amazing how this program brought people from various ethnicities, cultures, and regions of the world together. Getting insight into their perspectives has helped expand how I see the world.

It was an incomparable experience. I met so many people and learned a lot of surprising things. I always want the world to be better, but this is a little step towards continuing to do that in the rest of my life. I made so many friends and got to do things I don’t think I could as an individual.

I really just loved meeting and connecting with people who do what I want to do.

Global Scholar helped me learn more about global issues and how I can take action to address them.

It made me feel like a leader.

You can be the change in the world, but only if you actually put yourself to something that you really care about.

Those who learn are the future.

It completely changed my perspective on the world and how to have an impact in it.

It’s more than just global issues.

You have to follow whatever interests you–whatever “makes your eyes light up.” (from career panel).

I have no delusions about what I have just experienced -I’m not a ready made President post global scholars, nor am I entirely knowledgeable on every subject. But I have been equipped with the skills I need to delve further and the information I need to be a game changer with a well rounded view of the world. Global citizenship is about my care and compassion not being confined to the boundaries of my home. I am ready to love openly and act widely.

You must remember that everybody has not had the same privileges and opportunities as you, and you must be aware, but not ashamed, of that.

Enlightening.

This program helped explore problems facing our generation and how to address them in the best way possible.

Global Scholar brought together an incredible, inspirational group of young people that have already changed the world, and I can’t wait to see how we continue to do so.

Global Scholar helped me understand how to speak my mind.

My daughter had a great time, learned a lot, and saw how rewarding summer programs are. She was telling me how great and helpful the students of the group were. She also told me how the program helped her realize how global issues are not easy to solve one way, basically explaining the complexity of the issues. I think it made her realize that these problems are continuous, but there is always work that needs to be done. I also hope she stays active in global issues, and I’ll be there with her along the way.

I wanted to thank you for providing my kid with such an incredible learning opportunity over the last two weeks. Every time I spoke with her, she was so excited about all of the experiences she was having. It is clear that you run an excellent program.

My daughter has had an amazing time and speaks highly of all the leaders. I can’t wait for her to get home and tell me all about it. Thank you so much for putting on a great program!

This summer, my daughter attended the AMP Global Scholar program. As my daughter said, the program was exemplary; informative and extremely educational workshops; broad coverage of important topics; different aspects of global issues; qualified instructors; and very interesting panel discussions and visits. The program also had a good mix of educational and fun moments including the Fourth of July fireworks and sightseeing around the National Mall. I heard very good feedback about Vanessa, Director of Training, my daughter said her workshops were one of the best parts of the program. Special thanks to Karen Showalter, Executive Chair. I would definitely recommend this program to any student seeking a career in International Relations.