Week One PCGL On-campus High School Summer Programs – The Climate Crisis
Sunday, July 10, 2022
Today was a great start to our Porter’s Center for Global Leadership summer program! I arrived on campus before the 4:00 p.m. presentation to unload my things and settle in our dorm. Lily and I were pleasantly surprised by the size and layout of our dorm room. The walk-in closets and four windows give the dorm so much natural light – we love it.
Before and after dinner, we did a whole bunch of icebreakers, and Lily and I feel so much more confident about the other campers! At 7:30 tonight, we made s’mores while the sun was setting and the scenery at Porter’s was so pretty. Tomorrow, there are a couple of presentations being held, and I am so excited to see what we will do next.
With love,
Lily and Talia
PCGL Summer Program Students
Monday, July 11, 2022
On the second day of our PCGL summer program, it was a really busy day. We started and ended the day with guest speakers. The speakers we listened to were all very inspiring, and I think they were very informative.
The first speaker we met with was Marinel Ubaldo, who is a young climate activist in the Philippines. She gave us a global perspective on how the climate crisis is affecting that area of the world. The second speaker was Connecticut State Representative Mike Demicco. He talked about things from the government’s point of view, things like what they did to help those who have been affected by climate change, what they’ve been doing to reduce climate change, editing and creating laws, and relevant stats for climate change in CT.
Throughout the different sessions, we got to learn about new things like equity and environmental racism and justice, mass transit for all, creating better infrastructure regarding transportation, and how to create sustainable solutions to protecting working and natural lands from different perspectives. I think it really helped a lot with our understanding. We made lots of new friends. We got an introduction to the week-long project, and I feel like it will help us have a deeper understanding of climate change.
– Geyla & Ellis
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Today we visited Sub-Edge Farm and got a tour from the owner. We walked around the farm and met a dog named Gracie. Gracie watches over the chickens of the farm making sure that bigger animals don’t eat them. She chases away coyotes and other predators.
The owner showed us how the chickens are raised, how they fertilize the field and help plants grow, and how the cows are kept. Sub-Edge is an organic farm, so by using the chicken litter (manure that has been composted) instead of the chemical fertilizers on their fields, they have a much lower carbon footprint than a non-organic farm. Producing chemicals for farms uses a lot of energy.
We also got to take on one of the jobs on the farm, which was harvesting beets. We learned that to harvest beets, you pull them out of the ground from the bottom of the stem, make sure that the beet is big enough, then twist off the leaves so that they look more presentable to sell.
After lunch, we got to explore the Capitol of CT. We went on a tour with State Representative Mike Demicco and learned more about our state and the inner workings of our government. We also met Governor Ned Lamont and State Representative Robyn Porter, which was very cool.
Later we got to have bonding time with our dorm roommates and fellow campers while watching a show that we love. – Olivia & Zo
Wednesday, July 13, 2022
So far, we’ve been really loving the Porter’s Center for Global Leadership program, from the activities to the speakers, and it’s been pretty interesting and fun to get to learn about new things. We also enjoyed the speakers and their interesting experiences, especially climate activist Maebel Haynes, since she was so young and able to accomplish things like passing a bill, making it a requirement for schools to teach K-12 about climate change. When Maebel talked to us, we learned that it was sometimes hard to get in touch with the government as they weren’t responding to her and her group or taking them as seriously as they should have.
We played mini golf. It was one of our favorite activities because we were able to have fun socializing with our friends while trying to do well on the course. We also enjoyed eating ice cream after playing mini golf!
– Tenley and Miezka
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Today we had a fun, educational day. We started by leaving Miss Porter’s and going to the beach at Hammonasset State Park. While there, we did an activity to measure how the sea rise is elevating and how this is because of climate change. Then we went to Mystic Seaport, where we participated in a fascinating tour from the vice president of the waterfront. We also went on a boat cruise on the Liberty and learned more about how climate change affects the waterfront. Afterward, we went to get some delicious ice cream and returned to Miss Porter’s.
– Tabitha and Cam
Week 1 – Day 5 Photos
Friday, July 15, 2022
Today we had a fun design challenge in the Innovation Lab (iLab)! We tried to cook marshmallows in a homemade microwave using black paper, pizza boxes, and aluminum foil. My group tried to make a triangle microwave, but it was challenging to make the shape into a triangle. To burn marshmallows, we needed to use both black papers and aluminum foil effectively.
We also went to the Ivy and got some items for a care package for a friend. After that we went to the iLab and made rings, bracelets, etc. I hope she will be encouraged by us even a little. Last night, my teammates and I were preparing for the final presentation. I am excited about it, but at the same time, I am scared because this is my first time giving a presentation in English, and I can’t imagine how it will go. But my teammates helped me a lot, so I really appreciate them, and I feel happy to be working with them.
We finished the day with a really fun talent show in the amphitheater!
-Keisa and Sawako
Week 1 – Day 6 Photos
Saturday, July 16, 2022
Hi there, it’s Shaina and Keisa. Here today with your blog post!
So today is the last day of camp this week :(. When we woke up, we packed to make sure everything was good to go to move into Brick, the dorm that will be home next week. Before we presented our Challenge by Choice projects to our parents, we had carved out time to practice and fix our presentations up! Once we presented it to our parents and other guests, some of our new friends departed, and the rest of us went to the mall (we loved the mall!), Trader Joe’s, and Adong Market, an Asian grocery store, for snacks and dinner.
-Shaina and Keisa
Week 1 – Day 7 Photos
Week Two PCGL On-campus High School Summer Program – Gender, Economic and Racial Inequality
Sunday, July 17, 2022
Hi, our names are Angelina and Inaya, and we are campers at Porter’s Center for Global Leadership. Today was our first day at camp; however, we already feel so accustomed to our surroundings and to the other members. Everyone, from the campers to the teacher assistants, has been super friendly and charismatic!
During orientation, we went on a tour around the campus in order to familiarize ourselves with our “home away from home” for the next week. This campus illustrates a fascinating history behind such a monumental landmark that commemorates very intelligent, remarkable women. Because of this, we were welcomed with open arms and have access to a myriad of resources.
Regarding today’s activities, we played many introduction games, which allowed us to learn more about each other. It was a super insightful experience to find similarities between ourselves to bond with. Not only were our conversations fruitful but also meaningful as we all discussed our group agreements where we became a true community that set the boundaries for the week to come. Overall, today set the tone for an interactive and fun-filled week, and we’re excited to see how the rest of the week plays out!
-Angelina and Inaya
Monday, July 18, 2022
Hi! We’re Ava, Cali, and Uche, and today we had the opportunity to speak with Connecticut State Representative Robyn Porter. In our discussion, we spoke about mass incarceration and racial and gender inequality, as well as how her upbringing brought her to where she is today. She gave meaningful advice on how to use our voices and power to empower others.
After we concluded our discussion with Representative Porter, we began talking about our trip to the UN in New York tomorrow. We went more in-depth about what the UN was by watching an informational video explaining its importance. Once we understood more about the UN’s purpose, we transitioned into the protocols for our trip. Following that, we were given topics from the UN Secretary General’s Common Goals agenda, which we further researched and then presented our takeaways.
The last lesson of the day was all about six important identifiers: race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability/ability, and class. In this discussion everyone was very engaged and we got to hear different perspectives from our peers. At the end of the day, we were introduced to our week-long project and began to brainstorm topics to present in your chosen format. By the end of the week we should all have completed this project to present not only to our peers but to anyone who is interested in listening this Saturday, including our parents.
We are excited to go to the United Nations Headquarters in NYC tomorrow!
-Ava, Cali and Uche
Learn more about Porter’s Center for Global Leadership
The World Needs Female Leaders
… and PCGL is Specifically Designed to Produce Them
Porter’s Center for Global Leadership courses give high school girls the tools they need to be empowered to learn, to collaborate, to lead, and to create innovative solutions to pressing global issues. With the tools acquired from our programs, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to be a catalyst for global change.
