In 2019, 17 visitors from Europe and Tajikistan traveled to Pensacola as participants with the International Visitor Leadership Program of the U.S. Department of State on a project titled 21st Century Changemakers: Education Leaders Advance Civic Engagement Among High School Youth. While in Pensacola, the group examined media literacy, how to engage volunteers, and the role of experiential learning.
The Youth Diplomats invited the group to observe their monthly meeting with special guest Rick Outzen, publisher of IN Weekly. The meeting included ice breakers and a media literacy workshop highlighting the difference between disinformation and misinformation. The teens also volunteered alongside the exchange participants at a shoreline cleanup organized by Ocean Hour, a group fueled by the passion and dedication of volunteers. Founder & Co-Director Sharon Gincauskas explained their structure and mission.
Pensacola City Council Executive Don Kraher gave a welcome orientation at City Hall, and Rotary member Ed Wonders shared his club’s opportunities for high school students. Instructor Sara Barcellona gave a tour of Brown Barge Middle School where the group also met with administrators and observed classrooms. A meeting at Pensacola State College, coordinated by Robinson Honors Program Coordinator Amber Carey, introduced the group to academically gifted college students who highlighted their civic participation with the visitors.
Vas Bora, Leigh and Kent DeSantis, Lauren Glass, Shelly and Mike Lowe, Jena Melançon, Jeremy Ochoa, and Liz and Basil Yelverton hosted the exchange participants for dinners across the area.
Meridian International coordinated the group’s national itinerary. After exploring Northwest Florida, they headed to San Antonio to examine how the Lone Star State approaches civic engagement in youth.
