We are delighted to invite socially active and creative young people to take part in a virtual global leadership development programme.

  • Age Eligibility |  15 to 17
  • Duration | 3 days of live virtual sessions followed by 30 days of action
  • Dates26th-28th February 2021
  • Fully Funded | The programme is fully funded and there is no charge for participation (if you are eligible and selected to take part)
  • How to Apply | Apply by 2nd February 2021 via the ‘Hello World – Rise’ app (download here)

The GSL World Catalyst is designed by Future Foundations and the Wellington Leadership and Coaching Institute in partnership with Wellington College.  

“The three most important things that I have learned is to be myself, be confident, and to always value others opinions.”

“I loved meeting new people, hearing their voices and interacting with people from across the world. It helped me gain even more confidence as I have never met so many people at once.”

“I enjoyed it because I got to increase my confidence and I got to talk to new people.”

“I learnt I should always be open minded to new opportunities and experiences otherwise I won’t be able to properly succeed.”

“I enjoyed talking to people and building my confidence on how to be a leader. GSL has helped me understand myself A LOT more.”

Programme Design

  • GSL On-boarding Session

  • Three-days of live workshops in an international group facilitated by our expert facilitators

  • Collaborative Sessions

  • Quizzes

  • Global Discussions

  • ACCESS TO DIGITAL RESOURCES

  • Independent Social Challenges

  • Graduation & Certificate

Learning Modules

  • Leading yourself & Others

  • global citizenship

  • Pursuing your Passions

  • Deepening your Understanding of the 17 UN Global Goals

  • Wellbeing

  • Communicating Your Message

  • Future World of Work Skills

Aims and Outcomes

  • Future World of Work Skills: The Four Cs of 21st century learning

The future employment landscape is always changing, and there are lots of choices facing young people around education, jobs and their future!  We want to support you to build these skills on our courses by focusing on The Four C’s. 

“If today’s students want to compete in this global society, they must be proficient communicators, creators, critical thinkers, and collaborators (the “Four Cs”). Students need to master additional subject areas, including foreign languages, the arts, geography, science, and social studies.  Educators must complement all of those subjects with the “Four Cs” to prepare young people for the global workforce”

[Extract from research carried out by the National Education Association]. 

  • OECD Learning Compass

We have shaped our programme based on The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Learning Compass which has focused on what knowledge, skills, attitudes and values students need today to thrive in and shape their world. 

The GSL Catalyst is shaped to focus on building knowledge, skills attitudes and values through independent learning as well as live sessions connecting young people.  We believe in building the right attitude and values in young people as the foundation for GSL programmes. 

Reflection is a key component to any GSL programme, as part of the learning processencouraging young people to reflect on their experience throughout the programme, their own individual learning and building their insight. “We do not learn from experience. We learn from reflecting on experience.” [Dewey (1933:78)] 

The Learning Compass highlights the need for students to learn to navigate by themselves through unfamiliar contexts” [OECD Learning Compass 2030]. 

  • Transformative competencies

The OECD highlight the need to acquire three transformative competencies to help shape the future we want: creating new value, reconciling tensions and dilemmas, and taking responsibility. 

When young people create new value, they ask questions, collaborate with others and try to think “outside the box” in order to find innovative solutions. This blends a sense of purpose with critical thinking and creativity 

Young people need to be able to balance contradictory or seemingly incompatible logics and demands, and become comfortable with complexity and ambiguity. This requires empathy and respect. 

Young people who have the capacity to take responsibility for their actions have a strong moral compass that allows for considered reflection, working with others and respecting the planet. 

[OECD Learning Compass 2030] 

  • Wellbeing

We are in unprecedented times. Now more than ever we need to learn to navigate ourselves to changing contexts and adapt in ways that ensure wellbeing. The GSL Catalyst is an opportunity to learn new skills, develop the right mindset and prepare for the future we want. 

We believe it is important to give time and space to develop good mental health and wellbeing.  We will work with the young people on the programme to develop their own toolkit they can open anytime in the future when they need it. 

  • Social Action and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

In September 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs). If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030. 

The GSL Catalyst will challenge students to THINK GLOBAL and ACT LOCAL, examining the issues behind the Goals and understanding the part they can play by joining the biggest attempt in the history of the human race to make the world a better place. 

We also feel that connecting young people from different countries and backgrounds will help shape meaningful discussions on issues as well creating collaborative solutions as Global Citizens. 

Many young people are already running their own projects in their school or community, and the aim of the programme is to build and develop knowledge around the SDGs.  We will help you to either improve existing projects or start new ones.  We will focus on areas such as understanding the users, measuring impact and how to make a project more sustainable. 

AFTER THE PROGRAMME

PARTICIPANTS ARE INVITED TO ENTER A GLOBAL COMPETITION

After the programme, you will be challenged to start your own social action project working in a team of 3 to 7 students which will make tangible changes within school and the community (local, national or global).

You will be invited to enter the GSL Global Goals Competition.

Frequently Asked Questions

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GSL World Catalyst

As part of the programme, you will have live online sessions lead by a GSL facilitator, and with other participants joining from different countries. Please be aware that we will be using Zoom for live online sessions.

You will have been allocated one of the below session times for the three-days:

10.00 – 13.45 (CET) / 09.00 -12.45 (BST).

Please make sure you attend the full slot we have allocated – just in case we have to change the start slightly. 

 

It’s important that you know what you are signing up to take part in!

This programme involves live online interactive sessions lead by a GSL coach (this is the Catalyst course). You will be able to use your camera and microphone to engage with your coach and students.

The course is followed by an independent social challenge of your choice. You will be supported to complete your challenge over a period of 30-days. 

There are no tests to complete the programme (phew!) or to participate in the programme. You will through have all the content in English.  

In order to gain the most of your online learning experience, we recommend you participate in the discussions. Please if possible have your camera and microphone switched on when you go to breakout rooms. Our facilitators will tell you when to get ready for discussions. Please note, some of the sessions will be focused on how to launch and develop successful projects; gaining greater impact in your community; and topical debates which will help with your communication and persuasive skills. There will be other topics of discussion based on the requests we receive, for example an informal forum may be set up to for participants to connect with their global peers and exchange shared interests around similar SDG goals and community projects they are currently involved with. 

The programme is all in English, and we do not provide translations of the materials.  Hopefully in the future we will be able to release a programme that is suitable for a variety of levels of English. 

We would suggest that you need to have a CEFR level (Common European Framework of Reference) of B2 or above (C1/ C2) to join this programme. 

We do not ask you to do a test to show your level, so please be aware that this is important you are sure you are happy!  If you are concerned about this, please get in touch with our team before you register. 

There are some free online tests if you want to check your level. 

We will not record sessions as a default as the live sessions are made to be interactive and involve all participants. 
In exceptional circumstances, we can discuss the possibility of recording a live session depending on the content and gaining additional consent from parents. Please note, we will need adequate notice if you need to miss an online session.

All materials will be accessible on the online learning platform. As such, you will need access to the internet as well as a webcam for live sessions. Please note, these materials must not be shared with your friends, classmates and teachers.

5000+

young leaders around the world

1100+

reported social action projects

600+

schools involved in GSL programmes

100+

countries