Welcome to the future of Welcome to the future of education really excited to education really excited to have my first repeat guest on have my first repeat guest on this format Abby Falcon CEO of this format Abby Falcon CEO of Global Citizen Year Abby, was Global Citizen Year Abby, was with me a few months ago and with me a few months ago and we’re talking about how we we’re talking about how we shouldn’t be thinking of this shouldn’t be thinking of this moment in high school seniors moment in high school seniors now graduates lives that where now graduates lives that where many of them we suspect will be many of them we suspect will be not going to College in the not going to College in the fall and many of them will be fall and many of them will be take take what we have take take what we have historically called the gap historically called the gap here and really how to reframe. here and really how to reframe. A year on purpose and at the A year on purpose and at the time, Abby first welcome, but time, Abby first welcome, but second you alluded to the fact second you alluded to the fact that you would be launching that you would be launching something new soon and we would something new soon and we would have you back on to talk about have you back on to talk about it to really support it to really support individuals in this incredibly individuals in this incredibly trying set of moments. in the trying set of moments. in the nation and across the world so nation and across the world so why don’t so why don’t we start why don’t so why don’t we start there you launch something there you launch something called Global Citizen Academy. called Global Citizen Academy. in the last few weeks. What is in the last few weeks. What is it? and how is it different it? and how is it different from Global Citizen Year? Thank from Global Citizen Year? Thank you for having me back Michael. you for having me back Michael. I’m really excited to talk I’m really excited to talk about this. I think the need about this. I think the need for what we’re building has for what we’re building has never been greater and even in never been greater and even in the last couple of months since the last couple of months since we spoke the opportunity has we spoke the opportunity has just become even clearer the just become even clearer the opportunity to help young opportunity to help young people who are coming out of people who are coming out of high school this past spring so high school this past spring so the High School class of 2020 the High School class of 2020 who’s future and options look who’s future and options look dramatically different than any dramatically different than any class that’s come before them class that’s come before them and we need on. It’s new and we need on. It’s new pathways that are accessible pathways that are accessible and purposeful and we kicked and purposeful and we kicked into high gear in April and May into high gear in April and May to design and launch what has to design and launch what has become global citizen academy. become global citizen academy. so as I shared when we spoke so as I shared when we spoke before and for anybody who’s before and for anybody who’s who’s watching and interested who’s watching and interested global citizen near the global citizen near the Organization I founded and lead Organization I founded and lead for the last decade has run a for the last decade has run a global fellowship program for global fellowship program for really high potential young really high potential young leaders coming out of high leaders coming out of high school across the US and around school across the US and around the world and the model has the world and the model has been. To identify those young been. To identify those young young leaders and to them young leaders and to them through the equivalent of a through the equivalent of a school year long leadership school year long leadership course where they come together course where they come together in California for training in California for training before and after that school before and after that school year the equivalent of the year the equivalent of the school year and then from school year and then from essentially September through essentially September through April, you’re living and April, you’re living and working in a community in Asia, working in a community in Asia, Africa or Latin America Africa or Latin America alongside the global majority. alongside the global majority. understanding what life looks understanding what life looks and feels like for the majority and feels like for the majority of the world’s inhabitants and of the world’s inhabitants and they live with the family and they live with the family and stay in a. Enough to go deeper stay in a. Enough to go deeper than most of the fly by Volt than most of the fly by Volt tourist experiences. They’re tourist experiences. They’re not there to do a service not there to do a service project. they’re there to project. they’re there to observe and learn and be shaped observe and learn and be shaped by living in a new context and by living in a new context and questioning everything they questioning everything they understood about themselves in understood about themselves in the world. They learn a new the world. They learn a new language they support a local language they support a local project as what we call an project as what we call an apprentice again, It’s not a apprentice again, It’s not a volunteer placement or a global volunteer placement or a global development operation. It’s development operation. It’s really about fundamentally really about fundamentally shifting the. The values the shifting the. The values the identity, the wiring and the identity, the wiring and the motivation the convictions of a motivation the convictions of a young leader and recognizing young leader and recognizing that this transition, which I that this transition, which I know you care a lot about as know you care a lot about as well. Michael between high well. Michael between high school and College is the right school and College is the right moment for doing that and so moment for doing that and so when it became clear to us in when it became clear to us in April, that we couldn’t run our April, that we couldn’t run our global fellowship responsibly global fellowship responsibly in the the context of global in the the context of global pandemic. we recognize that we pandemic. we recognize that we have built a lot of expertise have built a lot of expertise and networks and curriculum and and networks and curriculum and pedagogy that can be delivered pedagogy that can be delivered to a new platform and that’s to a new platform and that’s what’s become global Citizen what’s become global Citizen academy and it’s. academy and it’s. In In practicality that it’s it’s In practicality that it’s it’s a partnership with Minerva, a partnership with Minerva, right, which for those that right, which for those that don’t know Minerva offers a don’t know Minerva offers a it’s a technology company. I it’s a technology company. I guess first and foremost with guess first and foremost with an active learning platform an active learning platform that I like to say Ivy creates that I like to say Ivy creates the most intense robust seminar the most intense robust seminar experience anyone has ever had experience anyone has ever had in their lives way better than in their lives way better than any face to face one that any face to face one that you’ve ever been a part of and you’ve ever been a part of and that they use That’s power. that they use That’s power. Minerva historically. has been Minerva historically. has been a College, It’s about six years a College, It’s about six years old, but now they’re using it old, but now they’re using it to power this new program. so to power this new program. so what’s it gonna look like for what’s it gonna look like for learners who are coming in the learners who are coming in the global citizen academy. so we global citizen academy. so we have worked periphery with have worked periphery with Minerva for many years, and Minerva for many years, and we’ve always been a fan of what we’ve always been a fan of what they do and what they’ve built they do and what they’ve built and it just felt like a perfect and it just felt like a perfect marriage of our mission with marriage of our mission with their pedagogy and approach to their pedagogy and approach to delivering active engaged delivering active engaged learning through what they’ve learning through what they’ve built, which they call their built, which they call their forum and the first time I saw forum and the first time I saw a demo of it. I was aware that a demo of it. I was aware that not all online. Is created not all online. Is created equal, I think we’re having a equal, I think we’re having a lot of conversations right now lot of conversations right now about distance learning and we about distance learning and we tend to delicate it like well. tend to delicate it like well. It can’t be as good as in It can’t be as good as in person, but the reality is that person, but the reality is that most in person my lecture Hall most in person my lecture Hall style seminar style experiences style seminar style experiences tend to be quite passive and tend to be quite passive and actually not very effective. actually not very effective. Yeah. I’m pretty crummy Yeah. I’m pretty crummy themselves. Yeah exactly so themselves. Yeah exactly so there’s something exciting there’s something exciting about being able to be on the about being able to be on the cutting edge of how we can cutting edge of how we can think about teaching and think about teaching and learning in new ways. so we. learning in new ways. so we. We’ve partnered with Minerva We’ve partnered with Minerva who’s helping us to design who’s helping us to design courses and the delivery courses and the delivery platform and their number of platform and their number of components of the academy. So components of the academy. So let me let’s look we can walk let me let’s look we can walk it through it is accessible to it through it is accessible to students coming out of high students coming out of high school in 20 from across the US school in 20 from across the US and around the world so part of and around the world so part of the global dimension, but we the global dimension, but we can’t send kids have global can’t send kids have global experiences we can bring to experiences we can bring to them together in a truly them together in a truly globally representative cohort globally representative cohort Our instructors will be from Our instructors will be from around the world. Our speakers around the world. Our speakers will be from around the world will be from around the world the students. The case studies the students. The case studies and all of the course and all of the course curriculum as well, so this is curriculum as well, so this is really for young people who are really for young people who are eager to learn about themselves eager to learn about themselves in the broader context of this in the broader context of this historic moment. What does life historic moment. What does life look and feel like for young look and feel like for young people in different parts of people in different parts of the world right now? so the world right now? so students apply and we can talk students apply and we can talk a little bit about that and a little bit about that and then they have the opportunity then they have the opportunity and I’ll also mention that the and I’ll also mention that the tuition model and this was tuition model and this was deliberate is pay what you can deliberate is pay what you can so we. If there are millions of so we. If there are millions of young people in this situation, young people in this situation, right now deciding whether or right now deciding whether or not paying full freight for a not paying full freight for a College experience, that’s College experience, that’s going to be quite distorted is going to be quite distorted is worthwhile is worth it. I tend worthwhile is worth it. I tend to feel like it’s it’s probably to feel like it’s it’s probably not in that College can wait not in that College can wait for so many young people and we for so many young people and we wanted to create something that wanted to create something that wasn’t gonna be exclusive or wasn’t gonna be exclusive or elite or available only to kids elite or available only to kids who happen to have the who happen to have the financial means in order to financial means in order to participate. So it’s a sliding participate. So it’s a sliding scale model. you pay what you scale model. you pay what you can there’s a. By the way I can there’s a. By the way I mean, there’s that’s almost mean, there’s that’s almost unprecedented right in the unprecedented right in the space I think yeah, I’ve never space I think yeah, I’ve never seen anything like it and it seen anything like it and it just felt like a new and so just felt like a new and so there’s tuition for kids who there’s tuition for kids who can pay and if your family is can pay and if your family is not in position to to pay not in position to to pay tuition. we invite you to tuition. we invite you to contribute to small deposit contribute to small deposit because we know that having because we know that having some sense of ownership is some sense of ownership is gonna be the game is crucial, gonna be the game is crucial, but we’ve been actively raising but we’ve been actively raising a scholarship fund, including a a scholarship fund, including a big announcement yesterday with big announcement yesterday with the Shawn Mendez Foundation so the Shawn Mendez Foundation so singer songwriter who’s gotten singer songwriter who’s gotten very excited about. Here at very excited about. Here at Global Citizen Academy and has Global Citizen Academy and has contributed $250000 worth of contributed $250000 worth of scholarship fund in our mission scholarship fund in our mission to make sure that this is is to make sure that this is is truly accessible to kids from truly accessible to kids from across the economic spectrum, across the economic spectrum, which is core to our mission as which is core to our mission as a nonprofit. So the academy a nonprofit. So the academy experience consists of a number experience consists of a number of parts. it’s a 10 to 15 hour of parts. it’s a 10 to 15 hour sort of active learning sort of active learning experience each week, and it’s experience each week, and it’s designed to layer on top of the designed to layer on top of the lift experience that students lift experience that students might be having. Throughout the might be having. Throughout the year, so the idea is you might year, so the idea is you might be working for money. you might be working for money. you might be volunteering on relief or be volunteering on relief or with an environmental with an environmental nonprofit, you might be doing nonprofit, you might be doing voter registration in the US voter registration in the US and the lead up to the November and the lead up to the November election and we have now set up election and we have now set up a whole roster of what we’re a whole roster of what we’re calling impact partners, which calling impact partners, which are organizations who are are organizations who are excited to welcome our students excited to welcome our students as contributors to their as contributors to their mission. whether it’s in person mission. whether it’s in person or virtually depending on what or virtually depending on what context is available, come context is available, come September which is all. Hard to September which is all. Hard to predict but so that’s that’s predict but so that’s that’s the experiential piece and then the experiential piece and then we’re wrapping around it a we’re wrapping around it a curriculum that consists of two curriculum that consists of two courses that are accredited so courses that are accredited so one is on systems and society one is on systems and society that is developed by Minerva that is developed by Minerva and they’ve used it in their or and they’ve used it in their or University experience for a University experience for a long time, and it’s really long time, and it’s really about the intersection of human about the intersection of human behavior group dynamics and behavior group dynamics and society to putting your society to putting your experience in a global context. experience in a global context. How does the world work and How does the world work and what’s my role in it? Second what’s my role in it? Second course stems more from the work course stems more from the work we’ve done at Global Citizen we’ve done at Global Citizen Year on authentic leadership Year on authentic leadership development, and it’s called development, and it’s called leadership as a practice, so it leadership as a practice, so it will be a practical where you will be a practical where you are both learning about are both learning about yourself your strengths and yourself your strengths and your weaknesses trying various your weaknesses trying various things in practice practice things in practice practice historical context and case historical context and case studies and having an studies and having an opportunity to interact opportunity to interact directly with some of the directly with some of the world’s leading thinkers and world’s leading thinkers and doers from across all doers from across all industries and sectors. So industries and sectors. So we’re putting together. High we’re putting together. High profile and very exciting profile and very exciting speakers series calling it speakers series calling it leadership in action and just leadership in action and just to give you a flavor for some to give you a flavor for some of the people we’ve signed on of the people we’ve signed on so far we have social so far we have social entrepreneurs like Andrew Boone entrepreneurs like Andrew Boone runs for one acre fund and runs for one acre fund and Wendy Cop, who was the founder Wendy Cop, who was the founder of Teach for America and now of Teach for America and now teach for all Melinda Gates has teach for all Melinda Gates has just signed on to give a talk. just signed on to give a talk. Sofia Bush is going to do a Sofia Bush is going to do a seminar on civic engagement. seminar on civic engagement. I’m McKesson one of the early I’m McKesson one of the early leaders of the Black Lives leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement Is gonna lead Matter movement Is gonna lead to a a piece on global activism to a a piece on global activism Vasco, the founder of the Vasco, the founder of the Sunrise Movement, is joining us Sunrise Movement, is joining us as well so and and the list is as well so and and the list is growing by the day. It’s been growing by the day. It’s been really compelling to see how really compelling to see how excited again leaders in their excited again leaders in their industries are to share their industries are to share their experience if our students and experience if our students and the intent of this Speaker the intent of this Speaker series is not to have a bunch series is not to have a bunch of famous people kind of doing of famous people kind of doing their. It’s much more about their. It’s much more about getting into their inner lives. getting into their inner lives. understanding their leadership understanding their leadership journeys in a way that may not journeys in a way that may not have been public before this have been public before this opportunity. it’s it’s all opportunity. it’s it’s all coming together to help young coming together to help young people figure out who they are people figure out who they are and who they’re becoming at and who they’re becoming at this crucial moment in their this crucial moment in their lives and how does that map to lives and how does that map to our historical moment? That’s our historical moment? That’s incredible. I it looks to me incredible. I it looks to me like my screen may have frozen like my screen may have frozen by the way and an unfortunate by the way and an unfortunate post. I don’t know if you’ve post. I don’t know if you’ve seen the same thing but either. seen the same thing but either. Now, we’re almost smiling. It’s Now, we’re almost smiling. It’s almost there so but I’m I’m almost there so but I’m I’m still here up from an audio still here up from an audio perspective. so I guess the perspective. so I guess the last question from my last question from my perspective is so this is truly perspective is so this is truly an international experience an international experience actually that you’re actually that you’re cultivating now bringing which cultivating now bringing which is the most different well is the most different well Global Citizen Year brought Global Citizen Year brought people to international people to international countries. This is now bringing countries. This is now bringing anyone anywhere. How big do you anyone anywhere. How big do you think the? Will be the news think the? Will be the news that just got announced. I that just got announced. I think it was yesterday the think it was yesterday the quarter million dollars that’s quarter million dollars that’s a pretty important signaling a pretty important signaling effect. I would think also that effect. I would think also that this is this should be a this is this should be a mainstream opportunity. This is mainstream opportunity. This is not a fringe thing anymore. not a fringe thing anymore. This is something that is This is something that is incredibly impactful for incredibly impactful for society The learner and and and society The learner and and and sort of their pathway right and sort of their pathway right and and so I’d love you to just and so I’d love you to just think about the size of of of think about the size of of of the program. What are we the program. What are we talking here? and how? Scholarship really signals that Scholarship really signals that in many ways, so we’ve built it in many ways, so we’ve built it to be scalable and that’s by to be scalable and that’s by design exactly as you’re saying design exactly as you’re saying Michael we’re really committed Michael we’re really committed to making sure that global to making sure that global citizen academy becomes the citizen academy becomes the best accessible formative next best accessible formative next step for this year’s high step for this year’s high school graduates and so we’re school graduates and so we’re in a position with the Minerva in a position with the Minerva Partnership, The Minerva Forum Partnership, The Minerva Forum and the money we’ve been able and the money we’ve been able to raise both through Shawn to raise both through Shawn Mendez and others to make this Mendez and others to make this accessible and big accessible and big Opportunities like this to to Opportunities like this to to share what it is, we’re doing share what it is, we’re doing and invite young people or and invite young people or adults who work with them to adults who work with them to encourage them to explore the encourage them to explore the academy. you can go to our academy. you can go to our website global Citizen Academy website global Citizen Academy dot org. Learn much more and dot org. Learn much more and the application we’ve made it the application we’ve made it quite easy. We are looking for quite easy. We are looking for kids who are determined and kids who are determined and motivated who are hopeful about motivated who are hopeful about the future and really committed the future and really committed to the specific opportunity to the specific opportunity that designed but the that designed but the application is quite quick. application is quite quick. Asking for a short video, which Asking for a short video, which is a personal statement, is a personal statement, essentially an expression of essentially an expression of why this experience and why now why this experience and why now for you in particular and as for you in particular and as those videos around roll in, we those videos around roll in, we share them across our team and share them across our team and it’s been enormously inspiring it’s been enormously inspiring to see that what we’ve built is to see that what we’ve built is matching a moment and a need in matching a moment and a need in a way that kids are seeing a way that kids are seeing themselves in this experience themselves in this experience in a way that feels like we’re in a way that feels like we’re on to something that’s on to something that’s incredible. I put the website incredible. I put the website down there so people can check down there so people can check it out as they watch this video it out as they watch this video post as we push this out in post as we push this out in newsletter other forums but newsletter other forums but just a huge. I think that just a huge. I think that that’s starting with the why that’s starting with the why for the learner as you and I for the learner as you and I have discussed is a question have discussed is a question that is not asked nearly enough that is not asked nearly enough and it’s one that we ought to and it’s one that we ought to be starting with and then be starting with and then building frankly right through building frankly right through these times and so the courses these times and so the courses that you’re talking about and that you’re talking about and pairing it with that pairing it with that experiential element of impact experiential element of impact in their community makes tons in their community makes tons of sense from my perspective of sense from my perspective seems like a huge opportunity seems like a huge opportunity and anything else you’d add and anything else you’d add that I guess is the final catch that I guess is the final catch all question that you’d say all question that you’d say like make sure you think about like make sure you think about X one of the. I realized I X one of the. I realized I didn’t mention is that the didn’t mention is that the courses are crediting and so courses are crediting and so the people here persists well the people here persists well beyond just this fall. We’re beyond just this fall. We’re not seeing global citizens not seeing global citizens academy as sort of a stock up academy as sort of a stock up because we couldn’t run our because we couldn’t run our fellowship. We’re actually fellowship. We’re actually envisioning with this becomes envisioning with this becomes part of a new movement that part of a new movement that forges a whole new pathway into forges a whole new pathway into young adulthood and the young adulthood and the opportunity to be able to opportunity to be able to provide courses that Grant provide courses that Grant College credits ensures that College credits ensures that we’re able to ban these kinds we’re able to ban these kinds of experiences in our notion of of experiences in our notion of a higher education so that the a higher education so that the traditional quote unquote gap traditional quote unquote gap here and I know you and I have here and I know you and I have talked about how much we hate talked about how much we hate that term. yes. Moving beyond that term. yes. Moving beyond the notion of that being a the notion of that being a luxury for an elite few that luxury for an elite few that may or may not be purposeful to may or may not be purposeful to actually centering the idea actually centering the idea that young people need a new that young people need a new type of transition into young type of transition into young adulthood and the to the extent adulthood and the to the extent that we can make it accessible that we can make it accessible transformative and credit transformative and credit bearing that changes everything bearing that changes everything and that’s when anything is and that’s when anything is possible in terms of what the possible in terms of what the future of higher education will future of higher education will look like that’s phenomenal look like that’s phenomenal just geek out on it for one just geek out on it for one moment before we wrap up so. moment before we wrap up so. Credit bearing because Minerva Credit bearing because Minerva essentially allows that through essentially allows that through their accreditation rate and their accreditation rate and then. you already know that then. you already know that certain institutions cuz certain institutions cuz obviously Minerva could then obviously Minerva could then accept it for some of those accept it for some of those students. are you having students. are you having conversations with other conversations with other schools to create articulation schools to create articulation agreements or or or something agreements or or or something like that where you know that like that where you know that those that they’ll actually those that they’ll actually count those courses or their count those courses or their mechanics like that. so the the mechanics like that. so the the Minerva course that we are Minerva course that we are teaching on global systems in teaching on global systems in society is accredited by society is accredited by Minerva and they have. Minerva and they have. Experience of those credits Experience of those credits transferring broadly to a wide transferring broadly to a wide range of schools. I’ll also range of schools. I’ll also mention that we’re in mention that we’re in conversation with colleges conversation with colleges right now which I had for so right now which I had for so there are a lot of schools that there are a lot of schools that are now scrambling to figure are now scrambling to figure out how to the term of the day out how to the term of the day apparently is the densify their apparently is the densify their College experience and so some College experience and so some schools unexpectedly if that schools unexpectedly if that find themselves over enrolled find themselves over enrolled other schools have found other schools have found themselves with the whole themselves with the whole cohort of kids who are asking cohort of kids who are asking for a deferral, but don’t for a deferral, but don’t necessarily know what to do and necessarily know what to do and so we are in the process. so we are in the process. Designing formalized Designing formalized partnership arrangements with partnership arrangements with colleges who are excited to colleges who are excited to send a cohort of students to send a cohort of students to have a global citizen academy have a global citizen academy experience before they welcome experience before they welcome them back to camp. That’s them back to camp. That’s awesome. That’s awesome. You awesome. That’s awesome. You look you and I have talked look you and I have talked about this before, but I’ll say about this before, but I’ll say it publicly that we make the it publicly that we make the conversation public, which is I conversation public, which is I think the real magic is gonna think the real magic is gonna be when colleges partner with be when colleges partner with programs like local citizen and programs like local citizen and Global citizen academy through Global citizen academy through this to make your credit this to make your credit bearing and also bring their bearing and also bring their financial aid budgets to bear financial aid budgets to bear to make this more and more to make this more and more access. And colleges that don’t access. And colleges that don’t from my research in College from my research in College like they’re just deluding like they’re just deluding themselves that a lot of themselves that a lot of students would be way more students would be way more successful if they had this successful if they had this experience first. that’s right, experience first. that’s right, We know it’s true and I think We know it’s true and I think we’ve got a moment to make it we’ve got a moment to make it happen Well, we’ll we’ll keep happen Well, we’ll we’ll keep pushing on thanks for the good pushing on thanks for the good work and thanks for joining us work and thanks for joining us everyone when you when you everyone when you when you watch this video and obviously watch this video and obviously reach out, I’ll put the website reach out, I’ll put the website there one more time Global there one more time Global Citizen Academy dot org. Check Citizen Academy dot org. Check it out apply and become part of