Ellis Students Partner with International Clients
Grade 11 students at The Ellis School are required to take the Integrated Studies course, Global Leadership by Design, to enhance their global knowledge and cultural awareness. Through a combination of theory and experiential learning, the course deepens students’ understanding of globalization and international relations through lectures, case studies, and collaborative work that focuses on leadership development. Students apply critical communication, team building, activism, conflict resolution, and leadership skills as they identify and study past and present global challenges.
In the third module of the course, students partner with four local organizations to develop and present a social-action project in response to a contemporary global challenge the organization may be facing. Students work in teams to research, develop, and refine a proposal and prototype for each client to effect positive change based on a current issue.
The student-driven, cumulative project ties together cultural awareness, project management, and innovation so students can independently see entrepreneurship through a global lens. This interdisciplinary, project-based learning experience develops students twenty-first century skills and challenges them to become social entrepreneurs and leaders.
2017 Global Leadership by Design Clients:
The PRYSE Academy is a summer camp for immigrant and refugee youth focused on academic preparedness, creative expression, and community engagement. Two students groups are working with PRYSE to address the challenge of connecting with students throughout the year and keep relationships moving forward.
The Rukmini Foundation works to improve the lives of underprivileged girls in Nepal through educational opportunities, mentoring services, and physical well-being programs. Rukmini aims to reduce child marriages, early pregnancies, and the literacy gap while empowering girls with confidence and self-esteem through education. Students have been challenged by Rukmini to find a feasible way to connect teachers in the United States with girls in Nepal.
Idia’Dega is a global eco-design collaboration that brings together a community of international women artisans to promote indigenous, ethical fashion. Founded by Pittsburgh native, Tereneh Mosley, Idia’Dega creates creative apparel, accessories, and jewelry that redefine sustainability and empower women across the world. Two groups of students will partner with Idia’Dega to design an app that women in Kenya can use despite universal and cultural differences.
Thread International is a fabric company that makes socially responsible fabric out of recycled plastic bottles from Haiti. With current retail partnerships with brands like Timberland and Kenneth Cole, Thread’s goal is to give back to Haitian communities through job creation, income opportunities, and cleaner neighborhoods. Ellis students are tasked with proposing a way for Haitian children to stay in school and earn money at the same time, instead of dropping out and cutting their education short, and to think of a solution for students to do both.
Envision Her at Ellis
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