Planet Georgetown enriching program explores "Conflict of Our World"

Press release

Published June 11th, 2015 - 04:32 GMT

During the debate

Georgetown University in Qatar recently held its annual weeklong after school spring program, Planet Georgetown, which is geared towards personal and academic skills building of high school students. Planet Georgetown is a year-long initiative dedicated to helping local high school students prosper in their current academic setting with a goal of preparing them to become successful university students and lifelong learners.

The program theme this year was "Conflict of Our World" and it had 34 student participants that represented 13 different local schools in Qatar.

“Ending a full year of workshops with the after school program, has allowed us to develop a thoughtful and well-articulated program to assist students in developing important skills in high school that will serve them well as university students. Future participants will be a part of a well-developed program resulting from the success of this year's program,” explained Sheena Martinez, GU-Q Educational Enrichment Manager.

Reiterating that this year’s series of workshops were a successful initiative in which students from both local independent schools and private schools in Doha were happy to take part in, Senior Student Development Officer at GU-Q, Jacqui Snell said: “The Planet Georgetown 101 weeklong after school program was a huge success due in large part to the enthusiasm of the students that participated. This year's student participants were committed and inquisitive from the first day and set the tone for the entire week. They embraced the program theme of "Conflict of Our World" and really engaged in the classes that covered everything from media and art in conflict to changing borders. It was a pleasure teaching and interacting with these passionate young learners.”

The program provides students in grades 10, 11 and 12 with enriching workshops and growth opportunities throughout the year and it is comprised of once-a-month interactive workshops as well as a week long after school program in the spring. Past workshop themes included: leadership development, current event analysis, goal setting and time management.

Background Information

Georgetown University in Qatar

Established in 1789 in Washington, DC, Georgetown University is one of the world’s leading academic and research institutions. Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q), founded in 2005 in partnership with Qatar Foundation, seeks to build upon the world-class reputation of the university through education, research, and service. Inspired by the university’s mission of promoting intellectual, ethical, and spiritual understanding, GU-Q aims to advance knowledge and provide students and the community with a holistic educational experience that produces global citizens committed to the service of humankind.

Located in Doha’s Education City, GU-Q offers the same internationally recognized Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree as Georgetown’s Capitol Campus in Washington, DC. This unique, interdisciplinary program prepares students to tackle the most important and pressing global issues by helping them develop critical thinking, analytic, and communication skills within an international context. GU-Q alumni work in leading local and international organizations across industries ranging from finance to energy, education, and media. The Qatar campus also serves as a residency and delivery location for the Executive Master’s in Emergency and Disaster Management along with the Executive Master’s in Leadership.