JGHS students to represent Cayman at world forum

| 30/05/2011

(CNS): Three students from John Gray High School are on their way to the United States to represent the Cayman Islands an international conference for young leaders. Nijel Powery, (left) Nordania Stewart and Catherine Ebanks have been selected by their teachers to attend the prestigious Global Young Leaders Conference (GYLC) in Washington, D.C. and New York City in July, where they will spend 12 days discussing concepts surrounding communications, diplomacy, law, human rights, peace, security, economics and the role of the United Nations.

The students will also visit embassies, the US Department of State, the United Nations Headquarters, Washington D.C. memorials, the Smithsonian Institute, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, and will participate in a New York City cultural expedition.

Supporting the students in their endeavours, the Ministry of Education, Training and Employment has donated$3,000 towards their trip expenses. Noting that the three are among John Gray’s top academic performers, Education Minister, Rolston Anglin said he was confident that the students would make the Cayman Islands proud.

Deputy Head Boy Nijel Powery, who has dreamed of representing the Cayman Islands at a global forum, said he was “absolutely amazed” to hear of his selection to attend. “I know what to expect from this conference due to friends who’ve been in the past,” he said. “I’m really excited because it’s an opportunity to get the Cayman Islands out there and to represent my country while building confidence and leadership skills.”
Fellow student Nordania Stewart was also looking forward to the conference and making new friends from around the world as well as learning more about global issues. “I’m hoping to share some of my own opinions on different topics, and I’m also grateful for the ministry’s donation, because without it, my attendance would be impossible,” she added.

The GYLC is a unique leadership-development programme that offers outstanding young people from around the world opportunities to explore the diplomatic, social and economic lessons of the past. Attendees also debate current policies and prepare for future positions of national and global leadership.

Participants also learn from and exchange ideas with some of the world's top business leaders, policy officials, lobbyists, journalists, diplomats and academics. The venues are the challenging and dynamic environments of Washington, D.C. and New York City; Vienna, Budapest and Prague; or Beijing, Hangzhou and Shanghai.
Each conference session is designed to educate, inspire and motivate students by allowing them to explore cultural differences firsthand, and absorb diplomatic skills daily, while building confidence and enhancing decision-making skills.

Developed by Dr. Marguerite C. Regan, a former high school teacher and social science department chairperson with a doctorate in political science from Purdue University, the curriculum provides a unique approach to leadership training.

Details on the Global Young Leaders Conference are available at www.cylc.org/gylc .

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