Featured Idea: A "global citizen year" for every American student?

by Nathaniel Whittemore

Published November 24, 2008 @ 08:14AM PT

Abby Falik is the founder of Global Citizen Year, a new organization working to institutionalize a global gap year for American students between high school and college. Abby was named at 2008 Pop!Tech Social Innovation Fellow. Read and vote for her "Idea for Change in America" here.

What's the idea?
Global Citizen Year is an innovative cross-sector initiative which will prepare a new generation of Americans to lead the fight against global poverty. By engaging thousands of students annually in a year of global civilian service during a ‘gap year' between high school and college we'll ensure that today's rising leaders are more globally aware and civically engaged than any generation before.

Where does the idea come from?

The idea of the ‘gap year', which has long been a standard right of passage in other countries, is finally beginning to take root in the US. A growing number of colleges now encourage students to take a year off before enrolling in order to learn about themselves, and to explore the world beyond our borders. Programs like the Peace Corps expect participants to have a college degree, but for those considering a gap year, the only opportunities for international travel and service for- outside the military - are small scale and prohibitively expensive. Global Citizen Year will change this.

Partnering with colleges and corporations, NGO's and government, Global Citizen Year will make it common- and even expected - that young people from all backgrounds, have opportunities for transformative global experience before beginning college. By recruiting and training a diverse corps of emerging leaders, and supporting them as apprentices with development organizations across Asia, Africa and Latin America, we'll ensure that many more students have the global fluencies and civic savvy they need to approach college - and their lives! - with passion, perspective and purpose.

What role could the Obama Administration have in the project?
As someone who embodies what it means to be a truly global citizen, President-elect Obama has a unique opportunity to expand opportunities for young Americans to engage in global learning and service. By institutionalizing support for a ‘global citizen year' of service, and making the opportunity accessible to young Americans from all backgrounds, Obama can help build a new generation of global leaders who have the insight and conviction needed to effectively re-engage America in the world. .

Why should this be a priority?

There has never before been such an urgent need to re-engage America in the world. Poverty, disease and climate change affect us all, threatening global security, prosperity and survival. Yet Americans remain dangerously uninformed and unengaged in global issues.

Imagine if every 18 year old in this country had the opportunity to spend a year living and working in the developing world. It's hard to imagine that our country - and our role in the world - would not begin to change.

The time has come to create a movement of social innovators who understand the complexities of global poverty and who are prepared to repair and renew the role of the US in the world. Quite simply, we can't afford not to.

You can learn more about Global Citizen Year on their website. Full disclosure: the Social Entrepreneurship guide is an advisor for GCY.