Global Seminar Series
Connecting girls to learn & unite with each other to understand their roles in our global community.
Launched in May 2020, the Global Seminar Series aims to provide an opportunity for high school girls globally to connect, learn, and collaborate as they address relevant pressing global issues. The Global Seminar Series (GSS) prepares students to become informed and empowered to take action by exploring one global issue through an interdisciplinary lens, interacting with experts in various professions, and participating in collaborative group projects.
To date, the GSS has engaged:
Join us for Global Seminar Series #10
Sharing Global Experiences:
Shifting Perspectives & Elevating Personal Power
May 11, May 18, and May 25, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ET on Zoom
Cost: FREE
Now more than ever, migration is a gender equality issue. Women make up over half of the 272 million global migrant population and face unique threats such as discrimination, gender-based violence, and sex trafficking. In this session, we will highlight the challenges that women immigrants face and create open dialogue on the ongoing crisis.
As young women, it is important for us to educate ourselves on current global challenges and center the voices of those experiencing them. The language that is used when talking about immigration is often rooted in statistics that promote stereotypes and reject the humanity of people and their experiences. Throughout this session, we will explore the narratives of migrants through art, culture, and personal experiences in order to cultivate the skills necessary to have productive conversations about immigration. We will honor and uplift migrant stories and histories while deepening our understanding of the pressing challenges that their communities face worldwide.
Have you ever wondered what it really means to be a global citizen, especially as a young woman?
Join us on a journey of connection and self-discovery as we explore the intersections of citizenship, culture, activism and empowerment in a global community of high school girls. We will be joined by a diverse group of women actively engaging and fighting to elevate their own personal power. Through sharing their stories, you will have the opportunity to engage, learn, and become inspired by their experiences as they relate to your own journey in life.
Our sessions will be centered on “Speaking”, “Listening” and “Doing” as we learn about each other’s unique stories and then dig deep into your own, asking – Who am I? Where do I come from? How does this inform my perspective? How does my culture and identity inform others’ perspectives about me? How do I view my role as a woman in this world community?
In this student-centered series, you will gain the skills needed to:
- unite with other girls, find allies, and share who you are;
- research and build consensus around a pressing issue relevant to you;
- communicate effectively across differences;
- and turn your story into an action plan.
Join us for an engaging, inspiring and action-oriented
Global Seminar Series this May!
Keynote Speaker
Lee Beckwith
Lee Beckwith is passionate about using computation as a tool for thinking through environmental justice issues. They have extensive experience in applied computation research ranging from developing disability-friendly pedestrian routing algorithms to utilizing machine learning techniques in climate modeling. Lee currently teaches in the Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship department as well as the Humanities Department at Miss Porter's School while simultaneously working towards their M.S.Ed. through the University of Pennsylvania. They earned their bachelor's degrees in computer science and environmental analysis from Scripps College.
Featured Panelists
Information on panelists coming soon!
Guest Speaker
Zaynab Abdi
Sustainable Development Associate at HCUSA | Award Winning Author | Youth Advocate | Public Speaker
As a passionate advocate for social justice and global education, Zaynab leverages her expertise as an MPA-DP alumna from Columbia University SIPA. Recognized with the 2023 Campbell award for leadership, she's dedicated her career to addressing migration crisis, policy, human development and education advocacy. She is committed to championing girls' education worldwide. She has not only leveraged youth voices through helping them to tell their own stories and advocate for themselves, she also mentors and empowers young people to be on the frontlines of social change. She's worked on addressing hate crimes against Muslim women, combating Islamophobia, and securing funding to support victims of discrimination.
As an award-winning author for best graphic novel, Moonbeam Silver Award for Voice For Refuge, and an award winning leader both in the city of Minneapolis and at Columbia University, she is excited to share her knowledge in storytelling and leadership with you.
Lolo Cynthia
Lolo Cynthia is an international communication strategist, global development leader, and trailblazer in socio-behavioural multi-media for social change. With a decade of experience, she partners with non-profits, research institutes, consultants, media firms, and INGOs to produce high-impact advocacy campaigns promoting sustainable development, health and gender equality, education and social justice, and youth empowerment.
As Nigeria's first juvenile correctional sexuality educator, Lolo pioneered the My Body Is Mine (MYBIM) toolkit, focusing on human rights and sexuality education. This initiative has benefited over 3000 teenagers and 70 juvenile inmates. Her tailored sexual and reproductive health education has reached diverse groups, including children with disabilities, police officers, and sex workers. She has also distributed menstrual education materials to 250 schoolgirls and created children's consent posters in four languages, reaching 10 million people worldwide.
Lolo's work extends to multimedia content creation, where she collaborates with teams worldwide to produce expository talk shows, documentaries, and interviews. She is the executive producer and host of The Lolo Cynthia Show, a Pan-African magazine program that uses human-centred storytelling and insightful dialogues to challenge harmful narratives, influence cultural beliefs, and promote positive social norms.
Her contributions have earned her numerous awards and recognitions, including being named one of the 100 most influential Nigerian women in 2020 by Leading Ladies Africa, an Aspen Institute New Voices Fellow in 2020, and a Y! Naija Media Person to Watch in 2019. She has also received international recognition from platforms such as CNN, BBC, and Global Citizen.
Pippa Tubman Armerding '86
Pippa Tubman Armerding is a lawyer and business professional with 20 years’ experience operating across Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas in multi-cultural, global environments and providing sophisticated strategic and legal advice to multinational corporations and academic institutions. Ms. Tubman Armerding has significant experience in developing targeted solutions, implementing business strategies, conducting in-depth research and writing business case studies. She is passionate about Africa and contributing to the development of the continent and making a difference in the lives of its people. She is currently the Executive Director of the Harvard Business School (HBS) Africa Research Center, an Independent Director of Godrej Consumer Products Limited, a member of the Advisory Board of the African Legal Support Facility and a Director of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Ms. Tubman Armerding is an alumna of Miss Porter’s School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and a Juris Doctor degree in international law from New York University School of Law. She is a member of the Bar of the State of New York.
Josselyn Navas
Josselyn Navas is an analyst in the Global Markets division of Goldman Sachs. She is responsible for providing trading execution services to large institutional clients. Josselyn is a first-generation college student and graduated magma cum laude with a major in economics and a minor in data science from the University of Chicago. Josselyn is originally from Ecuador but grew up in Queens, NY. During her free time, she enjoys going on runs, writing for her personal finance blog, and dancing salsa.
Addie Gundry '05
Pluie founder and CEO, Addie spent most of her career in the kitchen. She studied with Christian Etienne in a Michelin starred restaurant and honed her skills in kitchens in California and New York. She appeared on The Food Network, wrote for Martha Stewart Living, and designed food and beverage products at a Chicago innovation agency. Addie is the author of several cookbooks, making elegant recipes easy and approachable for any cook. Three years ago, she had a son, and after that, a daughter. As a mom, Addie quickly realized how horrific public changing tables are so she put down her knives and left the kitchen! She founded Pluie and with the help of a talented team Addie set out to change the table.
Renée C. Triay '86
Glam2Go founder, Renée C. Triay started her career in sales and business development for the television and entertainment industry at Univision Networks in Miami, FL (1991-1996). She worked for Oppenheimer Ltd in Bermuda as Director of client services for an emerging markets fund (1997-1999) and In 2000 moved back to Miami. Since 2004 Renée has lived in Mexico City focusing on new technologies and growth opportunities within the Mexican and Latin America for US companies (Vonage, One Command). She graduated with a BS in Communication from Boston University in 1991 and from Miss Porter’s School in 1986.
Our past Global Seminar Series:
- The Pandemic: A Call to Action (Spring 2020)
- The State of Democracy and the Global Impact of the U.S. Presidential Election (Fall 2020)
- Social Media 360: The Unsung Hero or the Insidious Villain? (Winter 2021)
- Sharing our Global Stories: Making the Invisible Visible (Spring 2021)
- Global Political Polarization – The Hidden Pandemic (Fall, 2021)
- The Climate Crisis: From Acknowledgement to Activism (Spring, 2022)
- Women’s Health and Reproductive Rights: Advancing the Global Conversation Among Youth (Fall 2022)
- The Economics of Being Female: The Wealth Gap, The Wage Gap, and What To Do About It (Spring 2023)
Empowering Tomorrow’s Innovators: Navigating the AI Frontier -(Title generated by ChatGPT) (Fall 2023)
Register for the Global Seminar Series
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