Global Engagement Summit

Tags Education, Sustainable development, Youth development, and +2 more tags.

The mission of the Global Engagement Summit (GES) is to build the capacity of the next generation of global change leaders. By providing tangible skills training and connecting driven students with innovative thought leaders, GES strives to empower students to make the change they wish to see in the world, and produce responsible solutions to shared global problems. GES, founded in 2005, is completely student-founded, student-organized, and student-run by a team of 50-60 Northwestern undergraduate students. Through our annual Summit, yearlong programming, and staff curriculum, we build the capacity of the next generation of global change makers. Delegates and staff come together to understand the challenges of and opportunities for their engagement; to hone the skills and mindsets that will enable them to better plan, execute, and participate in change-based projects; and to connect with like-minded peers from around the world.

Interested in learning how you can help this community grow?

Join
share

GES provides the opportunities for delegates to:

ENGAGE

Engage in critical discussion and think about how to do good well

CONNECT

Network with passionate individuals from around the world and innovative thought leaders

ACT

Build Capacity and develop skills to implement change-based projects

Thought Partners

Thought Partners are other organizations whose values align with GES at the professional level. Often times, these are global social change or international development organizations. Our relationships result in sharing opportunities, ideas and resources between our respective communities.

Ashoka
Changemakers

Ashoka Changemakers We are incredibly excited to be welcoming Ashoka Changemakers as one of our new Thought Partners. Ashoka, whose tagline reads: “Investing In New Solutions For Our World’s Toughest Problems,” is an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting social entrepreneurship as well as building infrastructure in order to ensure sustainability. This year, Ashoka has created the GES Community Changeshop (this page!), an online platform and resource marketplace that allows members to access the capital, talent and collaborators they need to move their projects forward.

Unreasonable
Institute

Unreasonable Institute GES is proud to have established a formal Pipeline Partnership with the Unreasonable Institute this quarter. The Unreasonable Institute equips entrepreneurs creating solutions to the world’s biggest social and environmental problems with the mentorship, capital and networks they need to do so. Their Summer Institute invites 25 entrepreneurs from around the world to participate in a 6-week mentor-driven accelerator. The goal is to accelerate these entrepreneurs as they grow profitable ventures that can scale to meet the needs of at least one million people. Be on the lookout for the 2012 cohort of Unreasonable Fellows!

Echoing
Green

Echoing Green This fall, GES reestablished the Fast Track Partnership with Echoing Green. The Fast Track Partnership allows GES to identify two past delegates and push their projects through to the second round of the Echoing Green Fellowship selection process. Echoing Green invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions. Through a two-year fellowship program, Echoing Green helps the visionaries it selects to develop new solutions to society’s most difficult problems. To date, Echoing Green has invested nearly $30 million in seed funding to almost 500 social entrepreneurs and their innovative organizations.

Starting
Bloc

StartingBloc Since 2005, StartingBloc has been training the next generation of leaders on how to do well and do good. The StartingBloc Fellowship selects the brightest young leaders and provide them with access to the resources they need to address the most pressing global challenges of our time. The most critical resource that their Fellows gain access to is a tight-knit community of social innovators based across the country and the world. The StartingBloc Fellowship begins with the Institute for Social Innovation, which includes a survey of social innovation, an innovative case-study competition and sessions with industry leaders. Upon completing the Institute, new Fellows join the global network of 1,500 StartingBloc Fellows from 54 countries and 221 universities. Over the years, StartingBloc Fellows have launched their own organizations and continue to create social impact in various sectors across the world.

Design for
Social Innocation

Design for Social Innovation DSI is a graduate program specializing in social and responsible innovation in the fields of graphic design, interactive systems design, film and advertising. DSI’s Cheryl Heller, a communication designer and business strategist with extensive experience in the field of social innovation and marketing, will be providing two extended consultation sessions to one selected delegate. The consultations will be focused on designing an effective communication strategy and brand identity for an emerging project. All delegates with implementation-stage projects are encouraged to apply.

"GES is more than a conference. It offers opportunities for personal and project development before, during, and after the Summit."

The GES Experience

outcomes-process

Comprehensive Post-Summit Support

post-summit-support

"GES 2012 offered delegates the most diverse set of outcomes opportunities yet, designed to provide resources aligned with the project’s stage (idea, planning, implementation)."