The “Tuna Diplomacy Youth Leadership Program” is a U.S. Department of State-sponsored program which brings together 17 students from The Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands (the Freely Associated States, or FAS) and five students from the U.S. for three weeks of learning, leadership development, and cultural exchange.
The program will take place June 8-29. U.S. and international participants will spend the week of June 8-16 in the Portland, Oregon area. The Portland, Oregon portion of the program will focus on developing skills for leadership to advance sustainability and advocate for environmental concerns. During the Portland portion of the program, international student participants will stay with host families (local students will not stay with host families, but ideally their home can host one or two international student participants). June 16-29 will be spent at the Oregon Coast. All participants will stay at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's (OMSI) Camp Gray. The Oregon Coast portion of the program will focus on ocean health, including marine resource management, ocean ecology, marine habitat protection, the global effects of climate change, effects of overfishing and technologies to counter overuse of marine resources. Daily activities will include interactive workshops, visits to local organizations, meetings with youth and adult environmental leaders, and cultural activities.
Through their participation in the program, both U.S. and international participants are expected to develop a follow-on project in their home community that addresses the program themes.
There is no fee to participate in this program.