Meridian Prepares The Next Generation of Pakistani Leaders Through the 2016 U.S.-Pakistan Global Leadership and STEM Program
Meridian International Center welcomed ten female students and two chaperones from Pakistan's Army Public School System. The girls, sponsored by the US Embassy in Islamabad, traveled from Kohat, Lahore, Nowshera, and Quetta to Washington, D.C. for the 2016 U.S.-Pakistan Global Leadership and STEM Program. For the second consecutive year, Meridian has tailored both content and program curriculum with support from the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and in partnership with SUNY Polytechnic’s Colleges of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE). Key objectives of this exchange program include promoting global collaboration and leadership through women empowerment by participating in an immersive Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum.
The seventeen-day exchange program (July 24- August 9, 2016) engaged the students in a variety of leadership building and STEM-focused educational activities. During their visit to SUNY Poly CNSE in Albany, NY, students participated in hands on experiments including chemical mixing to create wafer patterns, engineering to build LED light combinations, robotic programming that incorporated sensors, and pitching hypothetical case studies to improve nanomedicine. The Pakistani students also participated in business of nanotechnology sessions where they learned about entrepreneurship and understood the importance of business and marketing.
The STEM program blended these Pakistani girls with American high school girls from the Girls Inc. Eureka! Program. Jointly, the two groups of girls presented business and science projects to solve global issues to SUNY Poly faculty and local business leaders.
A component of the Global Leadership program was four days in New York City with the New York Police Department’s (NYPD) Community Outreach Branch. Officer Adeel Rana, the head of Muslim Outreach for NYPD, planned a robust program introducing the girls to female police leaders, the Pakistani Mission to the UN, the 9/11 Memorial, and the Pakistani diaspora community in New York City.
While promoting global collaboration through the sciences, the students engaged in global leadership meetings and participated in cultural activities in Washington, DC, Albany, NY, and New York City, NY.
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| Meridian Prepares The Next Generation of Pakistani Leaders Through the 2016 U.S.-Pakistan Global Leadership and STEM Program | August 2016 | |
|---|---|
| Number of Visitors: | 12 |
| Regions: | South and Central Asia |
| Countries: | Pakistan |
| Impact Areas: | Science and Technology, Empowering Women and Girls, Youth Leadership Development |
| Program Areas: | Global Leadership |
| Partners: | Public Sector |