FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 1, 2021
Contact: Martha M. Parham, Ed.D.
202-728-0200 x209
mparham@aacc.nche.edu
Through a partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges, member schools will serve as the virtual host campuses for the CGI U annual meeting April 11-13
CGI U students from across the world continue to come together virtually to take action on the COVID-19 pandemic, racial injustice, climate change, and pressing issues in their communities
Washington, DC – Today, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) announced in partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) that nation’s community colleges will serve as the virtual host campuses for the 2022 Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) annual meeting, which will bring students from around the world together with global leaders to inspire action. This network of virtual host campuses is made possible through a new, innovative partnership between the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).
Launched in 2007, CGI U is a leadership development program run by the Clinton Foundation for undergraduate and graduate students. Each year, students from around the world meet with topic experts, academics, and influential leaders to develop their Commitments to Action. Commitments to Action are social impact projects that address pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges that students face on campuses, in local communities, or globally.
Since 2007, more than 10,000 students who are tackling pressing challenges in their communities have participated in the CGI U program, representing more than 1,000 schools, 163 countries, and all 50 states.
This new partnership is part of an ongoing commitment to expand the reach of the CGI U community and support under-resourced students, building on existing partnerships to connect with student leaders from community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs). Through this partnership, CGI U will reach more than 11 million students that attend the U.S. community colleges, and the broader CGI U community will benefit from student engagement and academic expertise from across AACC member campuses.
“Community colleges by their very nature are inclusive, and promote opportunity for all. Community colleges are open to everyone, giving people a chance to pursue a higher education and create better lives for themselves and their families,” said President Clinton. “These values are at the core of the Clinton Global Initiative– a diverse group of people brought together by the idea that we can each make a difference in the world – and why we are excited to be holding the 2022 CGI U meeting with the American Association of Community Colleges and its member campuses across the country.”
“For thirteen years, students from across the world have come together around the idea that we all have a responsibility to improve our communities and make the world a better place,” said Chelsea Clinton. “At CGI U, we work to connect these student leaders across diverse backgrounds, communities, and passions to inspire and equip them with necessary skills and resources to take action. We’re thrilled to partner with the American Association of Community Colleges to reach even more students and bring together the next generation of changemakers.”
“We are thrilled to bring this opportunity to community college students,” said Walter G. Bumphus, AACC’s president and CEO. “Community colleges provide access to higher education and workforce training opportunities for millions of diverse students each year. This partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative University program will directly serve students and community colleges in many ways, including support for students to address current issues and advance innovation from idea to reality in a real-world setting. Our community colleges will now be able to connect and contribute to the vast network of CGI U Scholars and resources. And, the CGI University will gain from the contributions of the 11.8 million community college students representing the diversity of our colleges and our country.”
Beginning in 2019, CGI U expanded its support for student leaders by providing a year-round virtual curriculum, with enhanced mentorship and social impact programming. This sustained support, along with the annual meeting as a centerpiece for students to come together, helps students develop their Commitments to Action. In 2020, this support included $100,000 in funding given to student projects that address the COVID-19 pandemic; a partnership with IBM to help students develop app-based projects that address COVID-19 and climate change through Call for Code; and programming with the Peter G. Peterson Foundation that included a discussion with Chelsea Clinton on how young people are reinventing civic engagement. This year, CGI U and Verizon launched a partnership to help students develop innovative technology solutions to pressing domestic issues, with the opportunity to earn a spot in an accelerator program and pitch for seed funding.
Further details on application processes and the annual student event are below.
HOW TO APPLY FOR CGI U
Applicants must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student at an institution of higher education when they submit their CGI U application.
Prospective students can learn more and apply to this year-round program at www.cgiu.org. Applicants are required to submit a detailed plan for their Commitment to Action, a social impact project that addresses a specific problem that they have identified in their application.
The CGI U year-round program, including the annual student event, is free for accepted students. Students with any questions about the application process can email cgiu@clintonglobalinitiative.org.
Previous CGI U host campuses include the University of Chicago, Northeastern University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Miami, Arizona State University, Washington University in St. Louis, George Washington University, the University of California, San Diego, the University of Texas at Austin, Tulane University; and Howard University as a virtual host campus.
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About the American Association of Community Colleges
As the voice of the nation’s community colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), delivers educational and economic opportunity for nearly 12 million diverse students in search of the American Dream. Uniquely dedicated to access and success for all students, AACC’s member colleges provide an on-ramp to degree attainment, skilled careers, and family-supporting wages. Located in Washington, D.C., AACC advocates for these not-for-profit, public-serving institutions to ensure they have the resources and support they need to deliver on the mission of increasing economic mobility for all. https://www.aacc.nche.edu/
About the Clinton Foundation
Building on a lifetime of public service, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation on the simple belief that everyone deserves a chance to succeed, everyone has a responsibility to act, and we all do better when we work together. For nearly two decades, those values have energized the work of the Foundation in overcoming complex challenges and improving the lives of people across the United States and around the world.
As an operating foundation, we work on issues directly or with strategic partners from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors to create economic opportunity, improve public health, and inspire civic engagement and service. Our programs are designed to make a real difference today while serving as proven models for tomorrow. The goal of every effort is to use available resources to get better results faster – at the lowest possible cost.
We firmly believe that when diverse groups of people bring resources together in the spirit of true cooperation, transformative ideas will emerge to drive life-changing action.
Learn more at https://www.clintonfoundation.org/, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ClintonFoundation, and on Twitter @ClintonFdn.