CGI U 2021
The 13th annual CGI U 2021 virtual meeting brought together 600 students from across the world who have made Commitments to Action — new, specific, and measurable initiatives that address pressing challenges. Hosted by President Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton, and Howard University from March 23-26, the meeting featured special guests Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Stacey Abrams, Wes Moore, and others and explored topics on restoring faith in democracy, environmental justice, COVID-19 recovery, and creating systemic change.
Making Democracy Work
Climate Change and Environmental Justice
The COVID-19 Pandemic from Here
From Protest to Systemic Change
The Next Generation Rises
Closing Plenary with President Bill Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris
Agenda
Brief Remarks
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm ET- Wayne A.I. Frederick, President, Howard University
- Mayor Muriel Bowser, District of Columbia
- Wes Moore, CEO, Robin Hood
Virtual Community Service Projects (open to CGI U 2021 students and Howard students only)
3:15 pm - 5:00 pm ETMoorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University
This virtual volunteer opportunity is with the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center and supports its Digital Howard efforts. Volunteers is this group will improve the accessibility of select historical documents related to the Black experience. Volunteers for this project will have access to artifacts, broadsides, playbills, programs and various documents related to enslavement (including indenture contracts, deeds of emancipation, bills of sale, and receipts). This service opportunity is asynchronous. Volunteers can log in at any time during the annual meeting to participate.
The Ralph J. Bunche Center at Howard University
The Ralph J. Bunche Center International Affairs Center serves as a hub for the University’s extensive international activities and interests. Volunteers who are passionate about studying abroad and traveling will assist with populating digital travel resource guides that allow visitors to the Bunche Center’s site to explore the locations around the globe. The main activity for this session is to help curate and review virtual travel resources for 3-5 popular travel destinations.
Martha’s Table
Martha’s Table is a D.C.-based nonprofit organization that supports strong children, strong families, and strong communities by increasing access to quality education, health and wellness, and family resources. Volunteers for this session will consider the social issues Martha’s Table supports, identify the best practices for handling these social issues, and identify ways Martha’s Table can better connect their efforts to best practices outlined by national service organizations.
Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel at Howard University
Recently, the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel developed the Wellness Collective, which supports students’ mind, body, spirit, and soul wellness. The collective features experts in mindfulness, meditation, self-care, and spiritual care. Volunteers passionate about wellness will assist with curating and reviewing a resource guide on holistic wellness with college students (undergraduate and graduate) in mind.
Student Networking (Exclusively for CGI U 2021 students and alumni)
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm ETOpening Remarks
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm ET- Wayne A.I. Frederick, President, Howard University
- Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation
- President Bill Clinton, Founder and Board Chair, Clinton Foundation
Opening Plenary – Making Democracy Work: Restoring Trust and Expanding Participation
3:15 pm - 3:45 pm ETThis session will explore how we can repair and restore faith in democratic institutions, elections, and voting. Featuring:
- President Bill Clinton, Founder and Board Chair, Clinton Foundation
- Stacey Abrams, Founder and Chair, Fair Fight Action
Plenary Session: Climate Change & Environmental Justice
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm ETClimate change is an issue of social justice. Not only are low-income communities and communities of color disproportionately affected by climate change, but they are less equipped to recover from its impact. In this session, panelists will explore the intersection of climate change and social justice, highlighting some of the most effective environmental justice initiatives around the world. Featuring:
- President Clinton, Founder and Board Chair, Clinton Foundation
- Catherine Coleman Flowers, Founder, Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice and Author
- Xiye Bastida, Co-Founder, Re-Earth Initiative
Student Networking (Exclusively for CGI U 2021 students and alumni)
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm ETPlenary Session – The COVID-19 Pandemic from Here: Vaccine Access, Equity, Economic Recovery, and Lessons Learned
3:00 pm - 2:10 am ETWhile the COVID-19 vaccine brings hope for a post-pandemic world, many significant challenges remain on a global scale. This session will explore how to safely and equitably distribute vaccines, boost inclusive economic recovery in an increasingly unequal world, and build long-term public health infrastructure to prevent and address future pandemics. Featuring:
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- Chelsea Clinton, Vice Chair, Clinton Foundation
- Eric P. Goosby, M.D., Director, Center for Global Health Delivery, Diplomacy & Economics at the University of California San Francisco, Institute for Global Health Sciences
- Thabani Maphosa, Managing Director of Country Programmes, Gavi
Break
3:30 pm - 3:45 pm ETPlenary Session: From Protest to Systemic Change
3:45 pm - 4:30 pm ET- This two-part session will explore how to effectively address social injustice and create sustained change through social movements around the world.
- Part I: Race in America
- On January 6, the horror of the unprecedented assault on the U.S. Capitol by a large mob of mostly white domestic terrorists reverberated throughout the nation and around the world. The events that unfolded further solidified the need to urgently address the systemic racism throughout the U.S., and confront the individuals and institutions that perpetuate it. In the wake of such an attack and the divisive politics that enabled those events to unfold, how can we achieve tangible and meaningful racial justice in the days ahead? Featuring:
- Natalie Hopkinson, Associate Professor, Howard University
- Alanah Odoms, Executive Director, ACLU of Louisiana
- Katrina Ramos, Co-Founder, Compassion in Oakland
- Kyle Korver, Former NBA Player
- Naelyn Pike, Apache Stronghold Member
- On January 6, the horror of the unprecedented assault on the U.S. Capitol by a large mob of mostly white domestic terrorists reverberated throughout the nation and around the world. The events that unfolded further solidified the need to urgently address the systemic racism throughout the U.S., and confront the individuals and institutions that perpetuate it. In the wake of such an attack and the divisive politics that enabled those events to unfold, how can we achieve tangible and meaningful racial justice in the days ahead? Featuring:
- Part II: Building Effective Social Movements
- This session will highlight how social movements around the world – often led by young people – can continue to create tangible, sustained change. Featuring:
- Natalie Hopkinson, Associate Professor, Howard University
- Zulaikha Patel, Social Justice and Anti-Racism Activist & Writer, Charlotte Mannya Maxeke Institute
- Amika George, Gender, health, and period poverty activist
- Anya Dillard, Activist and Founder, The Next Gen Come Up
- This session will highlight how social movements around the world – often led by young people – can continue to create tangible, sustained change. Featuring:
- Part I: Race in America
Student Networking (Exclusively for CGI U 2021 students and alumni)
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm ETClosing Remarks
3:00 pm - 3:05 pm ETClosing Plenary Session
2:10 am - 2:10 am ETPart I: The Next Generation Rises
3:05 pm - 3:25 pm ETIn this session, Secretary Clinton will convene a conversation about how young people can lead with conviction and kindness and engage with empathy. This discussion will explore how to expand effective civic participation from cradle to career, and move beyond divisive politics and hateful rhetoric. It will also highlight how leaders of any age can serve their communities and make a difference on the issues they care about the most. This session is developed in partnership with the Clinton Foundation’s Too Small to Fail early learning initiative. To learn more about their campaign to promote kindness, visit talkingisteaching.org/kindness. Featuring:
- Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former U.S. Secretary of State
- Khloe Thompson, Founder, Khloe Kares
Part II: One-on-One Conversation between President Bill Clinton and Vice President Kamala Harris
3:25 pm - 3:45 pm ETBreak
3:45 pm - 4:00 pm ETOffice Hours (Exclusively for CGI U 2021 students)
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm ET- Featuring:
- Brandon Andrews, Co-Founder of Gauge & Senior Consultant at Values Partnership
- Gavin Armstrong, Founder & CEO, Lucky Iron Fish Enterprise
- Melissa Diamond, Founder, A Global Voice for Autism
- Khalil Fuller, President of Boundless Venture Co + Founder of Gift Card Bank
- Mahmoud Khedr, Co-Founder & CEO, FloraMind
- Esther Ngumbi, Assistant Professor in the Entomology Department at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign
- LaShyra Nolen, Advocacy and Activism for Health Equity Expert
- Oscar Romero, Program Director, NYC Mayor’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer
- Hilary Allen, Program Manager, Up to Us
- Special Guests from Verizon and VentureWell
Call for Code: State of the University Challenge
7:00 pm - 8:00 pm ETThis event is open to the public and will be the official kick-off for the 2021 Hackathon Event Series.