Mideast program fosters leadership
ON THE GREEN | Twenty-four college students from across the Middle East and North Africa came together at UD last summer for a comprehensive six-week program that they say left them inspired and motivated to create positive change in their communities. It marked the 10th year that the University hosted the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) Student Leaders Program.
UD is the host institution with the longest consecutive number of years supporting the program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of State and designed to give students training in leadership to foster civic engagement in their home countries.
Participants traveled to Washington, D.C., New York City, Philadelphia, Colorado and Boston. But many of their most important experiences took place in Delaware, where they visited various community organizations. MEPI students learned about the functions of the organizations and had the opportunity to interact not only with the children and adults served by them but also with their administrators and volunteers.
“We learned that being a leader is about mobilizing, influencing and serving people for the good of the community,” says Zeinab, one of the students.
