Pandemic Preparedness Program

Lead the youth charge around COVID-19 and advancing global health.

Global Scholar: Pandemic Preparedness. July 2021, Virtual

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Global Scholar prepares youth to be visionary leaders and bold changemakers around urgent global challenges.

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The Time is Now

There is no time to waste in tackling the greatest challenges facing us today, from intolerance to climate change.

Youth Have Power

Youth are the bold and visionary leaders we need to transform our world. No other generation has the fresh perspective and untapped creativity of youth.

We Must Act

Every moment is an opportunity to expand our understanding, work with others to craft solutions, and engage our world. Everything matters.

The past year has been a harsh reminder of how ultimately unprepared we were for a pandemic. Indeed, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and infectious hazard experts, the next pandemic is a statistical certainty: not a matter of ‘if’, but of ‘when’ and ‘how serious’.

As we recover from COVID-19, we must build in new thinking, practices and action to ensure we’re ready for future global health challenges coming our way.

COVID-19 isn’t just a public health challenge. It has widened existing challenges across all sectors, from food security to immigration. It is estimated as many as 100 million people have fallen into extreme poverty worldwide due to the reverberating impacts of the pandemic. And youth know all too well the impact the pandemic has had on our education systems and mental health, too.

Join us for this special global health and pandemic-focused edition of Global Scholar to examine pandemics as systemic challenges which requires dynamic and committed action. Highlights will include:

Learning from experts working on the front lines of global health and pandemic response.
Building powerful skills for leading transformative action through fast-paced workshops focusing on strategic communications, systems thinking, dialogue and conflict resolution; diversity, equity and inclusion, and more.
Apply all we’ve learned through daily challenges and final group projects, which we launch during the program.

Key Program Elements

Explore global health challenges through seminars with experts.

We offer unparalleled access to leaders and places where decisions get made. Click to see our speakers.

Build skills to be a bold and visionary global leader.

Global Scholar builds skills that cannot be gained elsewhere, which you can immediately apply to your work and life. Click to see our curriculum.

Launch a career and lifetime of change making.

Our approach gives you the knowledge skills you need to become global citizens and leaders. Click to see our impact.

Who is this program for?

This program is for rising 9th-12th graders who are interested in global health and pandemic preparedness and are eager to take action on these issues. The biggest quality we look for in applicants is curiosity and dedication to impacting their world.

Where will this program take place?

This five-day program will take place online from July 12 – July 16, 2021. Days will involve interactive workshops, followed by small group conversations and challenges. Throughout the program participants will draft a project that addresses the impacts of COVID-19 and/or pandemic preparedness, which they can launch in their school or community (we’ll offer ongoing support and small-grant funding!). We’ll have social events, games, and lots of fun time, too. The program will be 4 to 5 hours per day with lots of time for breaks. We have been designing and delivering exciting online workshops for many years, and have run Global Scholar as a virtual program before, including for the British Council and the Department of State. Read student testimonials from our 2020 virtual Global Scholar program here.

Price

We also know this has been an incredibly difficult year for many families financially. As a non-profit organization, our goal is to reach as many youth as possible with this life-changing experience. Our “pay what you can” model suggests a program rate based on your income, with an aggressive commitment to ensuring that as many participants as possible are able to participate regardless of their ability to pay for this experience. Our suggested program rates are:

Tier 1: $1050. This reflects our real cost for running the program. We suggest this rate if your net family income is over $150,000 annually.
Tier 2: $770. This is a discounted rate appropriate for families earning between $65,001-149,999 net income annually.
Tier 3: Contact us. If your family earns below $65,000 annually and you are unable to pay the Tier 2 fee listed above, we invite you to apply for one of our Global Scholarships, which provide partial or full tuition support for qualified applicants.

Please contact us if you’re not sure where you fall, and/or to discuss any special circumstances or payment options.

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2021 Workshop Dates

Global Scholar: Virtual

Session 1: June 27 – July 9
Session 3: July 11 – July 23
Virtual

Global Scholar: Blended

Session 2: June 27 – July 10
Session 4: July 11 – July 24
Virtual & In-Person

Pandemic Preparedness

July 12 – July 16
Virtual

US Political Divide

June 28 – July 2
Virtual

Rights of Women & Girls

Meets on: June 27, July 11, July 25 & August 8
Virtual

Leadership Top Up

August 9-11 & August 13-15
Virtual

“

After attending Global Scholar, I now feel better prepared to make a positive impact on not only my community but the world. 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.

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After attending Global Scholar, I now feel better prepared to make a positive impact on not only my community but the world.

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It’s such a great experience. If you are or are not into international affairs, you will go back home with such confidence, with all the knowledge you had acquired through this intense program. It will build your confidence in so many ways, such as public speaking, being inclusive, teamwork, support and so much!

“

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.

Student FAQs

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