This summer, three rising seniors from Sidwell Friends School discovered what it means to be a global leader. The seniors attended the first Student Global Leadership Institute, which was held at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, July 26 to August 8, 2010. The institute, launched by Punahou School, brought together 28 rising seniors from eight schools—four in China and four in the United States—for two weeks of experiential learning and cultural exchange.

The project-based curriculum focuses students on addressing a service need in their respective communities. Using a custom-designed online network, participants explored a water theme, with a focus on globalization and economics, environmental sustainability, leadership models, ethics and leadership, social responsibility and entrepreneurship, and multicultural perspectives.

The 12-day curriculum featured guest lectures, including presentations by journalist and water expert Steven Solomon, and innovation guru Michael Horn, author of “Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns.” The program expects that students will continue to engage and collaborate on their projects over the online network.

The institute’s aim is to build an international cohort of student leaders who will be able to galvanize positive social change. In the future, the program hopes to include student participants from Japan, Central and/or South America, Southeast Asia as well as the Middle East.

For more information, visit www.punahou.edu/sgli.