NEW YORK, July 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At a time when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says Syrian President Assad's "days are numbered," 30 New York City public high school students will devote three weeks to studying this and other pressing international issues.
Global Kids (www.globalkids.org), an award-winning out-of-school program focused on international learning and leadership development, selected the students to participate in its "U.S. in the World International Law and Foreign Policy Program." Global Kids specifically serves students from marginalized communities that are under-represented in foreign policy discussions.
The program is presented in collaboration with the Council on Foreign Relations (www.cfr.org) and many of the sessions will take place at CFR's New York City office at 58 East 68th Street July 23–Aug. 10.
Guest speakers and topics include:
| Les Gelb, CFR president emeritus | July 25 |
| Former Treasury Sec. Robert Rubin | July 31 |
| Richard N. Haass, CFR president | July 31 |
| George Stephanopoulos, ABC News | Aug. 7 |
The program will include a visit to the U.S. Mission to the UN and a tour of UN headquarters on July 27.
The UN studies will touch on the UN Conference on the Arms Trade Treaty that is occurring throughout the month of July. To prepare, some of the students have already learned about and become active in arms control issues.
"At a point when so much in our world is changing, it's critically important that we connect young people to the issues that will dominate their lives in the years to follow," says Evie Hantzopoulos, executive director, Global Kids. "We recognize these are complex issues for youth to grapple with, but year after year they demonstrate their interest and passion. We are most appreciative of the support from the Council on Foreign Relations and our esteemed guest speakers."
Global Kids was named a 2011 Excellence in Summer Learning Award recipient by the National Summer Learning Association.
Global Kids (www.globalkids.org)—the premier non-profit educational organization for global learning and youth development—works to ensure that urban youth have the knowledge, skills, experiences and values they need to succeed in school, participate effectively in the democratic process, and achieve leadership in their communities and on the global stage. Young people examine global issues, make local connections, and create change through peer education, social action, digital media, and service-learning, while receiving intensive support from GK staff.
Reaching over 14,000 youth and educators each year—while groundbreaking online programs reach millions more—Global Kids transforms lives while charting new life journeys. Global Kids operates in-school and out-of-school time programs in New York City and Washington, D.C. public schools and at our headquarters. Representing the rich diversity of our world, many Global Kids participants, better known as the GK Leaders, attend low performing schools and live in neighborhoods whose ethnic groups are largely underrepresented academically, politically and professionally.
The Global Kids, Inc. logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=4850