Group will learn about American democracy, work with Center’s 22nd Century Scholars
(CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.) – On Thursday, July 7, the University of Virginia Center for Politics will kick off the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program for Undergraduate Students (IYLEP). The program features 50 high-achieving undergraduate leaders from across Iraq.
The Charlottesville portion of the program is operated by the Center’s Global Perspectives on Democracy Program (GPD) in partnership with World Learning, and it is sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad.
After arriving on July 7, the group will participate in educational events, site visits, and workshops focusing on leadership development, team building, and civic engagement. Some of these programs include a session on civic engagement and U.S. politics with Professor Larry Sabato; civic action project sessions; a workshop on social entrepreneurship with Professor David Touve; teambuilding at the Poplar Ridge Challenge Course; and a visit to Monticello. IYLEP will divide into two groups on July 13 and travel to cities in Arkansas and California.
Joining the Iraqi group are 10 UVA students who are members of the Center for Politics’ 22nd Century Scholars Summer Internship Program. These students will participate in teambuilding, cultural engagement, and a day of activities that focuses on discourse, debate, and compromise inspired by the Center’s student-produced documentary on navigating differing political opinions, Common Grounds?
This will be the 31st exchange group to come to UVA as a part of the Center for Politics’ GPD program. GPD fosters dialogue between the United States and other countries through public events and international exchanges. Visit https://centerforpolitics.org/global-perspectives-on-democracy/ for more information about GPD programming. For more information about the IYLEP, contact Daman Irby at 434-981-7965 or [email protected].
