Clinton Global Initiative U. winners announced
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Last weekend, a group of college students competed in a tournament with brackets — but they weren’t in Houston or Indianapolis, they were in La Jolla, Calif., or the inaugural Clinton Global Initiative University Commitments Challenge.
As the university put it: On Friday, President Clinton opened the fourth annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) by announcing innovative student projects that will improve health care in Africa, help children around the world go to school, and increase understanding between American and Middle Eastern college students. More than 1,000 students attended CGI U this year, and each one created a Commitment to Action – a concrete plan to address an issue within CGI U’s focus areas: Education, Environment & Climate Change, Peace & Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health. This year, students and student groups made 950 new commitments. In addition, more than 59 leaders from National Youth Organizations will attend, and they made 38 commitments.
“Young people today have more power to effect change than any generation that has come before,” President Clinton said. “Since CGI U was founded in 2008, students and organizations have made more than 3,000 commitments which have improved the lives of thousands of people around the world. These students are taking action to solve the great global challenges of our time – and they are inspiring others to make a difference as well.”
Students attend the CGI U meeting to turn their ideas into action by learning about issues, networking with nationally-known leaders, and gaining inspiration from their peers. The meeting featured sessions on topics including college affordability, LGBT rights, poverty along the U.S.-Mexico border, and ocean pollution. Students also participated in hands-on workshops designed to improve their understanding of fundraising, marketing, and community engagement.
