Students from all across the world are arriving in Loudoun County to meet and have a summit with eight high schools throughout the county. On Saturday, March 30th, where they will embark on a week of international friendship and communication. Many delegates from all around the world are coming to the summit, there are 34 delegations from 25 different countries. With a total of 130 delegates coming from all of these different countries, with 8 delegations being hosted at Dominion.  There are also a total of eight schools across the county that are participating in this year’s summit.

The theme for this years summit is “Mind of a Nation, Spirit of the World”. Students will be discussing topics such as immigration, environmental issues, and other global problems. Brianna Traenkle, the Vice President of Global Ambassadors, said, “We want to try to come up with like, get student initiative, and come up with ways that our countries can work together to solve these problems.”

There are many events and activities that are happening as a part of this summit, many of which that students outside of global ambassadors can get involved with. On Tuesday after school, delegates will be sharing cultural display boards, which the public can view. On Wednesday night at 7pm in the Dominion auditorium, a Holocaust survivor, named Irving Roth, is visiting Dominion to give a testimony on his life, in which those who attend are asked to listen and keep his story alive. Five other Holocaust survivors will also be attending to keep so many of these stories of survival through harsh conditions alive.  

On Thursday, there is an in-school, where people from the Dith Pran Foundation, who was a journalist and survivor of the Cambodian genocide, are coming to speak at the assembly. Students can also purchase elephant pants, which benefit the Dith Pran Foundation. On Friday night, there is the annual Glow Dance, which all students can participate in, while it also benefits the Tanzanian students.

Global Ambassadors is also always looking for volunteers. Traenkle said, “We definitely need a lot of volunteering for when the summit’s here we need people to tell the delegates where to go. And for orientation and ceremonies, we can definitely use a lot more volunteers.”

The International summit also has a service project attached to it every year. This year, EB Fox, the PR coordinator for global ambassadors, said, “Dominion [is] going to Women Giving Back, which is a nonprofit that gives close to women and children are area and needed.” The summit also has many field trips which delegates and students attend, such as visiting DC where they visit museums like the American History Museum and the Newseum.  

The international summit is something that was started in Ms. Rodgers’ class in 2012 and has blossomed ever since. Rodgers shares the goals of the summit, “Our goals are to help young people expand their global perspectives and learn how to take action as global citizens.” Rodgers also shared what she hoped that students take away from the summit, she said, “I really think that [the] individual level [of] making friends that live [in] other places in the world and see things differently and seeing all the things you have in common as human beings,” she continued, “If more people can do that and connect in that meaningful way that’s really the key to our planet [is] a better place.”

Fox also expressed the importance of the summit, she said, “Connecting with other kids from other countries and being able to form bonds. And global relationships is really the main thing.”

High Schools in Loudoun County Participating:

Dominion

Woodgrove

Potomac Falls

Broad Run

Park View

John Champe

Rock Ridge

Loudoun Valley