Global Scholar stands out from other summer programs serving high school students in many ways:

We focus on building global leaders who have both the knowledge and the skills to make our world a better place. Many programs offer coursework; we go beyond the classroom to provide leadership and action training, and we inspire students to put their new skills into practice through our ongoing work on global issues. We spend about half of our time learning from experts, offices, and institutions.

Our popular Action Lab workshops give you advanced training you won’t get anywhere else, focusing on systems thinking and complex problem-solving; dialogue and conflict resolution; strategic action planning; activating your story, values, and vision; and ethical decision-making.

We offer a unique and unparalleled space and community. Nowhere else will scholars be exposed to the brightest young minds thinking about global issues in a “can-do” way. Scholars develop real projects or actions during Daily Challenges and a Final Project, which they actually launch during the program. They can apply for small amounts of funding to continue this work after the program as well.

Global Scholar is part of a broader youth movement of engaged global citizens. The experience extends far beyond the session; participants enter a community of student leaders affecting change on their campuses and in their communities. Over 100,000 youth have participated in our programs since we were founded by students at Yale after 9/11. Our alumni 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, Yale, and the University of Chicago. Most importantly, they develop a strong sense of how they can make an impact on issues they care about and launch their careers with purpose and a strong set of skills to succeed.

We are affordable. We are run by a national student organization, and we charge just enough to cover our costs. You will find that our programs are significantly less expensive than comparable summer programs. This is not a business for us; we are not out to charge students and their families exorbitant fees to participate. Rather, we see this program as our contribution to empowering a generation to build a better world. We offer a Pay-What-You-Can model, scholarships, and support to help you fundraise from family and friends to attend.

Global Scholar goes far beyond traditional learning. Through highly interactive workshops, seminars, small-group activities, and engaging assignments and projects, Global Scholars not only gain knowledge but also practice and refine how to apply their new skills to their lives. Our driving belief is that it’s not just what you know in the world, it’s who you are and what you do to make it a better place.

Only through our powerful mix of content, alongside a group of equally inspiring peers, and driven by this urgent moment in time, will scholars truly gain the skills and support they need to become global leaders.

Global Scholar is designed to meet you where you are. Although many of our participants have had some exposure to global issues, for example through school or travel, it’s definitely not required (and many others have not). The only thing that’s required is an interest in exploring global challenges like poverty and climate change, as well as the U.S. role in addressing them. Sessions introduce key issues and concepts, and background readings and assignments provide additional depth. The program moves at a quick pace, and even those who are familiar with these issues will be challenged to deepen their understanding further. This is particularly true during the Action Lab, when scholars design their own project or event.

Unpacking the greatest global challenges facing us today is a cornerstone of the Global Scholar experience. Learning happens through seminars with experts who have deep, hands-on experience working on the issues we explore throughout the program, from climate change to global health to the rights of women and girls.

Past speakers have included Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins; former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman; Asia Jackson, actress and SKNFLUENCER founder; Omer Kanat, founder of the Uyghur Human Rights Project; Franklin Morales, Head of Commercial and Economic Development Affairs at the Embassy of Panama; Niamh King, Deputy Director of the Aspen Strategy Group; and many more. This year’s speakers will be announced throughout the spring.

In addition, we meet with many young leaders of organizations, movements, and campaigns. This is a true highlight of the program, reinforcing our founding premise that young people have the knowledge and skills to be leaders in this work. Recent youth speakers include Renata Koch Alvarenga, Founder and Director of EmpoderaClima; Marie Claire Kaberamanzi, girls’ education advocate with the Malala Fund; Wadi Ben-Hirki, Ashoka Fellow and Nigerian activist; and Sahana Kaur, Chair of Amnesty International Malaysia’s Youth Committee. Check out our Global Youth Visionaries on our website to see a fuller list.

Global Scholar staff are experienced leaders, educators, change makers, and advocates. Our longtime program director Karen Showalter has led the program the past twelve years, and has over 20 years of experience working with youth, groups, and movements to mobilize around global issues like access to education, development financing, women’s rights, and more. Training Director Aris Hines has extensive experience as a global educator in both the US and the Philippines, and is a recognized designer, artist and playwright.

Our summer staff always includes program alumni, who return to give back to the program.

The full summer staff line-up will be announced in June!

Our Action Lab workshops are a highlight of the Global Scholar experience, and a real standout feature of our program. These are not your generic public speaking seminars. We offer transformative experiences that engage, uplift, and challenge participants to think about their role and voice in this world, their skills for engaging others, and their ability to envision and enact change around issues they care about. Workshops are led by our experienced youth trainers, including Aris Hines. We also welcome many exiting guest trainers into the program, and this year workshops will also be facilitated by alumni from Switzerland, Turkey and Brazil.

Global Scholars will receive certificates upon successful completion of the program, and staff will be happy to write recommendations for college or other applications. We do not provide grades or academic credit, although we are happy to work with you to apply for credit at your school, if applicable. The Action Lab also gives scholars a concrete project to share and launch at the end of the experience, which is a great resume builder. We also offer a range of leadership opportunities following the program.

We place a premium on providing a small-group experience. A typical session is about 15-20 students. We break each session into smaller cohorts of 5-8 for discussion groups and project work.

We strive to ensure the Global Scholar experience is as accessible as possible, which shapes our approach to staffing, recruitment, programming, technology, and scholarship support. We offer as many scholarships as possible, depending on available funding. Most of our scholarships are partial and do not cover transportation to and from the program. Last year, over 50% of the class received partial or full scholarships to attend Global Scholar.

The first step is to apply to and be accepted into the program, after which we will share information on how to apply for a scholarship.

You can make payments via the application portal. You’re able to set up a payment plan via the portal, too.

8 AM: Breakfast
9 AM: Group check-in and welcome to the day
10–11:30 AM: Meet with experts at the Aspen Institute (downtown) to discuss global security
11:30 AM–12:30 PM: Lunch and walk by the White House
2–4:30 PM: Systems Thinking Workshop (on campus)
5:30–6:30 PM: Dinner
7–9 PM: Social event or project work

This summer, Global Scholar is once again returning to American University in Washington, D.C., which offers the perfect setting: a green campus with easy access to downtown D.C.

We split our time between campus and downtown Washington. Many of the policy seminars take place in offices in downtown D.C., while many of the skill-building workshops take place on campus.

Scholars stay in the dorms along with our staff. They are placed in well-equipped double rooms and share a bathroom with others on their hall. Laundry facilities, snack machines, a TV lounge, and many other amenities are available in the dorm. No one is able to enter the dorms without proper ID. This is a real college experience.

We share many of our meals in one of the dining halls on campus, which offers hot items, a salad bar, daily specials, and plenty of vegetarian options. The cafeteria can accommodate other dietary needs such as gluten-free and allergy-related requirements. A coffee shop and a couple of fast food restaurants are also located nearby. We also eat out around Washington, D.C., enjoying the many cuisines available in the city. Please contact us with specific questions about dietary needs or concerns: globalscholar@ampglobalyouth.org
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Safety is our top priority. Our staff live in the dorms with scholars, and entry is only permitted with a keycard. Scholars are not permitted to travel around campus or Washington, D.C. without Global Scholar staff. We will have a safety discussion on the first night to review expectations for staying safe on campus and when traveling downtown.

All of our program staff complete background checks, mandated reporter training, and safety training. Scholars agree to a set of student and community agreements at the start of the program that outline our expectations and requirements for participation.

We are happy to answer any additional questions about safety and security during the program.

Upon registration scholars can opt for us to pick them up / drop them off at their points of arrival. Our program starts at 6pm on the first day.

We will share specific details about the dorms in June, including where parents can drop scholars off if they are bringing them to the program.

The program fee includes room, board, materials, and the program itself. Scholars are responsible for paying for transportation to and from the host city., supplemental meals or snacks, and spending money. Scholars are also expected to pay for lunch on the two days we are sightseeing downtown. Although it is hard to estimate, a reasonable amount of spending money might be $50 per week.

Global Scholar is run by AMP Global Youth / Americans for Informed Democracy, a nonprofit organization founded by students at Yale after 9/11 to help youth understand global challenges and build their skills for taking action. We are not a company, and our goal is to amplify the voices of as many young people as possible. We are mission-driven, not profit-driven.

Our goal is to inspire student conversation around the U.S. role in the world and key global challenges facing us today. These conversations are based on the premise that the U.S. has an important role to play beyond our own borders. We strive to help students understand all sides of issues and empower them to formulate their own opinions on the best courses of action for our country to take.

We work hard to keep costs low and to provide a valuable program that is competitive with similar offerings, so we ask for your understanding in respecting our Cancellation and Refund Policy.

You are able to switch between sessions as space allows (including between virtual and in-person programming). Please contact us as soon as you know you need to explore this option. We cannot guarantee that we can make the switch, but we will do our best.

If you cancel within 30 days of the start date of your Global Scholar session, you will not receive a refund. If you cancel within 60 days but more than 30 days before the start date of your Global Scholar session, you will receive a refund of 50% of the program fee.

If we are forced to cancel in-person programming, any student who has been accepted to an in-person program is welcome to switch to a virtual session or receive a full refund of any fees paid.

Space in our programs is limited, and we must reserve student housing and vendors well in advance. We are furthermore beholden to cancellation penalties from partners such as the universities. As a result, our ability to provide refunds is strictly limited to these timelines. We understand that few can afford to pay for a program they cannot attend, so we strongly encourage you to consider our refund policy when making plans and to plan carefully.