Image provided by Sister Cities Youth Leadership Summit
Sister Cities International (SCI) is accepting applications for the 2021 Youth Leadership Summit (YLS). The Youth Leadership Summit is designed to engage future leaders and expose them to important global challenges. Through the Summit, SCI empowers young people to think globally, spurring a new generation of citizen diplomats and volunteers who become instrumental in promoting peace, mutual respect, and prosperity. This Summit allows high-school aged youth around the world to meet like-minded peers and mentors to develop decision making and leadership skills, including but not limited to positive and visionary change, resourcefulness, and community cohesiveness to bring diverse community elements together.
This year’s YLS theme is “Solving Today’s Problems to Build A Better Tomorrow.” With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, communities around the world are experiencing more problems than before. Left unaddressed, these issues will grow exponentially and harm more communities in the upcoming years. However, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) can provide a roadmap to tackle the majority of global challenges. During the Summit, students will learn more about the UN SDGs and develop community solutions with their peers.
This year’s Summit will take place virtually and have two components:
A workshop focused on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) beginning August 2nd (limited to 50 students selected through the application process)
A 1 Day Public Forum that will take place on August 12th
Please note: While the 1 Day Public Forum will be open for all to attend, up to 50 students will be selected for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Workshop.
The Youth Leadership Summit is free for participants.
The deadline for applications has been extended to June 18, 2021, at 11:59 PM (ET)/ 10:59 PM (CT). See below for eligibility requirements.
Eligibility Requirements:
The Summit is open to students ages 14-18 (at the time of the Summit).
Applicants should be connected to a Sister Cities International member city. Applicants who are unsure if their city is a member city, including international students, are encouraged to apply and Sister Cities International will do their best to connect those applicants with the most appropriate member city.
Applicants must have a good command of the English language (no interpretation services will be provided).
Applicants should have an interest in civic engagement and international relations.
Applicants must be able to participate in all of the weekly sessions, including the orientation, SDG training workshops, and the public forum days. Students must also be able to commit and complete assignments on their own time, if needed, outside of the workshop and the Summit hours.
The SDG Workshop will begin on August 2
The 1 Day Public Forum will take place on August 12
For the first component, up to 50 students from around the world will gather to work in small teams to identify local solutions, utilizing SDGs, to critical global issues. For the second component, students will join a Public Forum that will be open to outside participants. During the Forum, youth delegates will have the opportunity to present their proposals and gain a representative voice as they participate in various speaker discussions and explore the importance of passion, fact-based decision making, and open mindedness.
Students participating in the Youth Leadership Summit will be chosen through a competitive application process.
Pre-Selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDG):
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions