Clinton Global Initiative University
April 1-3, UC San Diego
“I strongly believe that through
CGI U, we can harness the energy
and power of today’s young
leaders to improve the lives of
people around the world and
build a stronger future for us all.”
President Bill Clinton
Purpose of CGI U
Brings together college
students around the
world, national youth
organizations, and
university officials to
craft solutions to
pressing global issues
and then take real,
concrete steps toward
solving them.
Why UC San Diego?
- CGI U wanted to bring
the conference to the
West Coast.
- UC San Diego’s
reputation.
- Other campuses
under consideration do
not have conference
facilities comparable to
the Price Center.
Who attends CGI U?
Between 1,000 and 1,300
students from the U.S. and
60 nations. Attendees
include undergraduates
and graduate and
professional students.
20% of the spaces of the
conference are reserved
for UCSD students.
The conference is free to
the UCSD students selected
to attend.
What is format of the conference?
Friday evening Opening session in
RIMAC arena and
reception for the
attendees.
Saturday - Full day
with a mix of skill,
working and plenary
sessions and meals and
receptions.
Sunday – Community
service project at offcampus location.
President Clinton is
present all three days.
What is a Commitment?
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Every attendee creates a commitment to
action that they will fulfill the year following
the conference
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Commitments are new, specific, and
measurable initiatives that address social
or environmental challenges on
campuses, in communities, or in different
parts of the world
Commitment Areas
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Commitment Areas:
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Education
Environment/Climate Change
Peace and Human Rights
Poverty Alleviation
Public Health
Experience Highlights
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The mix and mingle session at CGI U
Participants and guest appearances
during the workshops and plenary
sessions.
Networking and meeting people from
all around the world
Listening to the different projects
and commitments
CGI U Exchange Fair
On Saturday, attendees
showcase their student
organizations and nonprofit organizations they
are involved at the CGIU
Exchange Fair.
CGI U Community Service Day
On Sunday, the last day of
the conference, attendees
will participate in a service
project in San Diego
County.
Commitment to Action Example
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1) Global issue addressed: Peace and
human rights issues with students in
Israel/Occupied Territories
2) Skill set: Interviewing and
broadcast journalism
3) Project developed: Video
conference calls with students in
order to introduce cross cultural
dialogue
Other Commitment Examples:
Education:
• Sponsor a village or district overseas to help
eliminate or reduce their school fees in a
region where basic education is not available
to most children.
Environment and Climate Change
Turn college building thermostats two degrees
up in the summer and two degrees down in
the winter.
How to come up with your own
Commitment
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1) Think of a global issue that you
want to address?
2) How can you use your major and
skill-sets to make a difference?
3) What might be a project you could
develop to help solve the pressing
global issue?
How you can get involved!
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1) Apply to participate at http://cgiu.org
Tips:
• Think about NGO’s, professors, or people who
can help you with your commitment--mention
it in your app.
• Narrow down your commitment as much as
possible
• Need to know the who, what, when, where and
how’s of your commitment in order to apply
• Explain why you are passionate about this
global issue and your commitment
Group Applications
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1) Groups consist of 2-4 students
2) All group members must be
students, but they do not need to be
from the same school
3) There needs to be a designated
group leader through whom all
communication will go
Group Applications (Cont)
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4) Group commitments are held to a more
rigorous standard than individual
commitments given the pooled resources
of four persons rather than the resources
of a single person
5) Each individual group member will fill
out their own application with individualspecific data. CGI U cannot guarantee
that all members of a group will be
admitted to CGI U
Who selects the attendees
from UC San Diego?
The applications of UCSD
students will be forwarded
to a campus committee
chaired by Sara Henry,
Director of the Center for
Communication and
Leadership, and Mentha
Hynes-Wilson, Marshall
College Dean.
The committee will review
each application and select
the attendees.
More ways to get involved
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2) Apply to volunteer:
Volunteer Roles:
• Registration
• AV/Tech
• Greeters
• Logistics
Volunteers will be able to attend the
closing plenary and take a group photo
with Bill Clinton.
Be part of the CGI U Student
Organization!
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Goals of the organization:
• Promote CGI U
• Advocate to the UCSD community about
pressing global issues
• Learn and support each others
commitments within the same focus
area
People who take officer positions will be
guaranteed a volunteer position if they
are not admitted to the conference.
More Information
Info and application: http://www.cgiu.org/
Find us on Facebook at:
CGI U at UC San Diego