Penn State students must register by Oct. 1 for the first University Office of Global Programs' Global Engagement Leadership Experience (GELE), which opens with a weekend seminar from Oct. 15 to 17 at the Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park and continues with monthly meetings through March.
During the kick-off weekend, a variety of professors and leaders with international experience will bring together 40 participants to explore what it means to "think globally." The objective of the program is to prepare students to take on leadership roles in an increasingly global environment on campus and as future leaders and global citizens.
"Developing an understanding of how this global society functions is now an essential component of an undergraduate education. Developing the skills to take a leadership role in those interactions may give graduates a significant advantage in the marketplace," said Robert Crane, professor of geography, director of the Alliance for Education, Service, Engineering and Development in Africa (AESEDA), and the the closing speaker for GELE.
The weekend event will be held at the new 16-room Nature Inn at Bald Eagle State Park, roughly an hour from State College. The cost, only $45 per person, includes transportation to the venue, meals and accommodations for the weekend, in addition to the seminar and monthly sessions.
The Nature Inn setting is beautiful; moreover, the facility was designed using environmentally friendly architecture and green technology. "Sustainability is a global issue," says Kristin Thomas, promotion and outreach coordinator in the University Office of Global Programs and organizer of the event. "Not only will the students be able to get out of their comfort zones to think about these issues, but the Inn also provides another opportunity to see green initiatives at work."
Those interested in signing up for GELE should contact Kristin Thomas at klt16@ip.psu.edu or visit http://www.global.psu.edu/dgrp/gli for the full schedule of activities.