Earlier Programs

April 2012

• In April, we hosted a group of international students from China, Germany, Lebanon, Singapore, South Africa, and South Korea from the Global Ambassadors Program at Dominion High School in Sterling, Virginia.
• Also in April, student peer mediators from Northwood High School in Silver Spring, Maryland visited USIP for a program that focused on conflict management. (See photo below).

Peer mediators from Northwood High School in Silver Spring, Maryland visited USIP for a pilot program with David Smith (left) in April 2012.

• In March and April, the Global Peacebuilding Center hosted a series of groups of middle school students from across the U.S. affiliated with the People to People Ambassadors Programs.

March 2012

• In early March, we welcomed international students participating in the AFS student exchange programs, who came here to explore the range of ways in which young people can be peacebuilders. David Smith and Megan Chabalowski hosted the students. (See photo below.)

Students from the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange, Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), and Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study programs – sponsored by the State Department and administered by AFS – visited USIP in April 2012. 

• In March, the California-based group Kids for Peace brought over 100 young people and adults to USIP where they recited their peace pledge to USIP President Dr. Richard Solomon and presented their Heart Tree Banner that they had created before coming to Washington, DC.
• Also in March, 130 high school seniors from Boston Latin School visited USIP for a briefing co-sponsored by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights. The group was welcomed by Tara Sonenshine and learned more about USIP’s work from Global Peacebuilding Center Director Ann-Louise Colgan.
• Earlier that week, we hosted a group of high school seniors from Georgetown Day School for a workshop on peace and conflict.
• The same month, students from Arundel High School in Gambrills, Maryland visited us for a briefing given on Nigeria by USIP specialist Jacki Wilson, who has spent considerable time engaged in peacebuilding work in that country, as well as other parts of the African continent.

February 2012

• In February, in collaboration with the NEA Foundation, we hosted 55 public school teachers from more than 35 U.S. states for a program titled “Bringing Peacebuilding into the Classroom.” USIP's Alison Milofsky introduced the teachers to the newly released Peacebuilding Toolkit for Educators, and to some peacebuilding activities and concepts that they can share with their students. (See photo below.)

Teachers participating in the NEAF program watch Betty Bigombe's video in the "Witnesses to Peacebuilding" exhibit of the Global Peacebuilding Center.

• Also in February, we hosted 25 graduate students from the University of Southern California’s Public Diplomacy program. The meeting included a briefing from Tara Sonenshine, USIP’s Executive Vice President and recently nominated by President Obama as Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and the students also had the opportunity to preview the multimedia exhibits of the Global Peacebuilding Center.
• The same month, 20 peer mediators from Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring, Maryland visited us for a pilot program on negotiations hosted by David Smith of USIP. (See photo below.)

Peer mediators from Eastern Middle School in Silver Spring, Maryland raise their hands to answer a question posed by USIP's David Smith (standing). USIP's Global Peacebuilder Center engages the next generation of Peacebuilders.