Thirty-one MDC students have been selected to participate in the upcoming Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U). This year, President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton will host the event locally, at the University of Miami from March 6-8, 2015.
The event is modelled after the Clinton Global Initiatives, the prestigious conference where world leaders gather annually to take action on global problems. The goal of CGI U is to inspire and prepare students for leadership roles by inviting them to gather along with topic experts, university representatives and celebrities to develop innovative solutions and take concrete steps toward solving some of our most pressing global challenges.
Miami Dade College is part of the CGI U network of universities who pledge to provide a minimum of $10,000 to student participants. With nearly 100 MDC students applying, the College ranks among the highest for applications and final selections nationwide. Students applied for inclusion in the conference by submitting a proposed “Commitment to Action,” either as an individual or a team.
Among the accepted MDC Commitments are proposals to increase the quality of the educational experience for MDC’s autistic students (Jacob Quinlan, Samira Selman); distribute donated athletic equipment to young people in low-income neighborhoods (Leif Amrhein, Stefania Strzyzowska, Bryant Perez); install filter sterilization units in the Haitian Central Plateau (Lyannis Capote, Kyesha Miller); provide a sleeping bag enclosure that transforms into a waterproof and insulated backpack to homeless populations (Sofia Suarez, Mary Murray).
The meeting will bring together more than 1,100 students for a transformative experience where they will address five focus areas: Education, Environment and Climate Change, Peace and Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health.