More than 370 million people worldwide count English as a native language. For education and career advancement, that makes English one of the most sought-after languages in the world.
As The Experiment celebrates its 90th anniversary, World Learning and SIT will also mark another milestone in 2022—the 10th anniversary of the Professional Certificate in English Language Teaching (PCELT). Over the past decade, this internationally recognized TESOL certificate—offered by World Learning and SIT Graduate Institute in partnership with AMIDEAST—has reached aspiring and current English language educators in North Africa and the Middle East. Today, the program includes a professional community of more than 2,000 participants and 50 licensed trainers.
With 90 years of history to build on—with Nobel Peace laureates, Olympians, diplomats, elected and courageous grassroots leaders among our ranks—we look to the future with a deep sense of pride and a keen sense of responsibility to uphold the values that these changemakers have carried into the world.
To be sure, a legacy of change sets a high bar. Our program participants, including creative and committed young leaders like the group who came together two years ago in Portland, Oregon, remind us that we can meet it.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented by World Learning, in 2019 the On-Demand Youth Leadership Program brought together 20 students from Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Palau, and the United States for an exchange focused on ocean sustainability, leadership, and civic engagement.
The young people met with organizations working to preserve the ocean and ocean-based livelihoods. They went on excursions to better understand the science behind ocean health and the ocean’s place in local cultures. Their final assignment was to implement what they had learned through projects in their home communities.
At first the students found this difficult. Some projects seemed too large and the students weren’t sure they could do them on their own. After brainstorming late one night, a lightbulb went on: Together, they would create an umbrella organization for local clubs in their home communities, a network through which they could continue to cooperate and draw inspiration from each other.
That’s how ITUNA—International Teens Upholding Nature Association—was born.
With a focus on community involvement in ocean conservation and climate advocacy, today ITUNA connects an array of local clubs, each with the autonomy to decide what’s most important for their communities. Some choose community education while others carry out beach and environmental cleanups, organize strikes and marches to raise awareness about climate change and overfishing, or coordinate tree-plantings.
Last year, when original group reunited virtually for a follow-up conference, one participant said it all: “Even though this trip ended, our story never will end because we will continue to work toward a better future.”
As we set our sights on 2022 and beyond, we, too, are excited to carry forward our shared priorities for a world in which peace and justice are informed by diverse and sustainable societies and systems. Toward that goal, in February 2022, Alumni TIES (Thematic International Exchange Seminars) participants from academia, civil society organizations, government, and the environment and technology sectors will gather in Denver to brainstorm environmental diplomacy and its impact on American society. Workshops will address green infrastructure and renewable energy initiatives with a focus on environmental justice for underrepresented groups.
At another World Learning seminar in May 2022 in Bangkok, 60 young Alumni TIES members will come together to strategize regional solutions to address public health and climate change. These participants—from science, medicine, education, technology, civil society and public health sectors—have been working on concrete and immediate actions to combat climate change. We will support them with networking, capacity building, and project planning programs aimed at inspiring them to continue their efforts to tackle climate change and promote healthy communities.
More than 370 million people worldwide count English as a native language. For education and career advancement, that makes English one of the most sought-after languages in the world.
As The Experiment celebrates its 90th anniversary, World Learning and SIT will also mark another milestone in 2022—the 10th anniversary of the Professional Certificate in English Language Teaching (PCELT). Over the past decade, this internationally recognized TESOL certificate—offered by World Learning and SIT Graduate Institute in partnership with AMIDEAST—has reached aspiring and current English language educators in North Africa and the Middle East. Today, the program includes a professional community of more than 2,000 participants and 50 licensed trainers.
