Social Work Faculty Member Wendy Grab Led International Delegation of Students
Wilmington College’s Wendy Grab led a delegation of select high school students from around the world this summer in an Ambassador Leadership program held at Harvard Law School.
PICTURED: WC's Wendy Grab (TOP LEFT) is pictured with her delegation of students from around the world.
Grab, assistant professor of social work, taught leadership and community change in the experiential education program highlighted by service-focused leadership, service learning and world citizenship.
In addition to previously leading high school students on a tour of seven European countries, her extensive experience derived from the triad of working overseas in Scotland, as a high school social worker and a college professor led to her selection as an educator-leader this summer at Harvard.
She said the Ambassador Leaders program features students nominated based on their leadership potential and community-mindedness.
Grab was especially impressed with the dynamic of seeing the delegations comprised of diverse students become cohesive groups that worked together to try and address major community and global challenges. The students created partnerships that led to “amazing community action plans.”
Grab also assisted the students in a community service project related to poverty and homelessness.
Indeed, if the students follow the plan and enact all the steps at home that they were taught, then they are eligible for a $10,000 grant to actually implement it through an organization offering seed funding known as Lead To Feed, she noted.
The high school students also shared cultural information about themselves both interpersonally and more formally at an international panel discussion at which 10 nationalities were represented.
“This sharing really seemed to bring students together in a new and stronger way as they all had pride in their respective cultures and were excited to become involved with the cultures of their peers,” she said, noting that some of the nations represented from outside the United States ranged from Congo and South Africa to Pakistan, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, China, Italy, Thailand, Canada and Uruguay.
“I hope the students carry with them the sense of compassion that grew throughout the summit along with the discovery of their own strengths and leadership skills,” she said. “They were exposed to many new cultures, ideas, issues and challenges in the world — I believe this experience has changed them forever.”
More information about the Ambassadors Leaders program is available at: https://ambassadorleaders.com/.
