Global Citizen Fellowship 2025 NY Program
This July, as part of the Global Citizen Fellowship (GCF) launched by JICUF in April, a summer program was held in New York over two weeks. The GCF is a year-long fellowship for undergraduate students at ICU, designed to help them explore their personal values, deepen their understanding of the world and their place in it, and consider how they can contribute to the common good. Out of the 14 inaugural fellows, 12 participated in the New York program. Here is a report on their experience.
The summer program was structured around three core components. First, the fellows engaged in discussions with individuals who are actively working as global citizens at the JICUF office. Second, they visited various nonprofit organizations and public institutions tackling social issues across different fields. Third, they joined a reflective retreat in the Catskills, located in the suburbs of New York.
During the discussion sessions, the fellows had the opportunity to engage with a diverse group of guest speakers who are making an impact globally in their respective fields.
David Janes, former Chair of the JICUF Board and current Vice President for North America at the International House of Japan; Susan Hubbard, a certified midwife and lecturer at Thomas Jefferson University; Jim Gannon, CEO of Peace Winds America; Tanya Domi, Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and affiliated faculty at the Harriman Institute; Ben Giovine, Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for U.S. Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey; and Dr. Kyaw Moe Tun, Founder and President of Parami University in Myanmar. Each speaker shared their unique experiences and visions, and answered questions from the fellows.
As for site visits, the fellows visited Brooklyn Grange, one of the world’s largest rooftop farms which promotes sustainable urban agriculture; Materials for the Arts, a New York City Department of Cultural Affairs program that promotes art-making through the reuse of discarded materials; the Bowery Mission, a faith-based nonprofit providing services to people experiencing homelessness; the Tenement Museum which preserves and shares the stories of immigrants who lived in New York in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute (CCCADI) in East Harlem which highlights African and Afro-Caribbean heritage and social justice; the New York Center for Child Development which offers early childhood special education for children with developmental challenges; and the Japan Unit of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Midway through the program, the fellows took part in a three-day retreat at the Uplands Center in the Catskills. Surrounded by nature, they helped harvest produce on an organic farm, explored forest trails, and enjoyed a slower pace far removed from the bustle of Manhattan. The retreat provided a valuable opportunity to quietly reflect on the many insights and experiences gained during their time in the city. It also marked the beginning of each fellow’s planning process for their Social Impact Project, which they will undertake starting in the fall.
The GCF is facilitated by ICU alumna Yuri Morikawa, who guides the fellows through a year-long journey of personal and social exploration. The program begun in the spring semester with a focus on self-discovery, followed by the summer program which broadened worldviews. In the fall, fellows will move into planning their Social Impact Projects, which they will implement and present during the winter semester.
We look forward to seeing what kinds of Social Impact Projects the 14 fellows—12 who joined the New York program and 2 who spent the summer in Syria and Thailand—will develop in the months ahead!
