WEBVTT - Encouraging Next-Generation Leaders to Explore

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<v Speaker 1>This is Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Messer and Bloomberg

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<v Speaker 1>Quick Takes Tim Stinovic on Bloomberg Radio. So pretty do

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<v Speaker 1>you regret you regret not taking a gap here? I

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<v Speaker 1>would like travel the world. Wait tables, it's not too late,

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<v Speaker 1>lived the whole, Lizzie McGuire, it's not too late. I

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<v Speaker 1>will consider it gonna happen. I'm gonna ask my manager

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<v Speaker 1>for a year. All right, if you, hopefully you come

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<v Speaker 1>back from this really cool vacation that you're going on

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<v Speaker 1>and you don't decide to take a gap here. Let's

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<v Speaker 1>talk more about gap years and really why our next

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<v Speaker 1>guest thinks that they can really provide an advantage to

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<v Speaker 1>students who do take that break between high school and college.

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<v Speaker 1>Aaron Llewellen is the CEO of Global Citizen Year. It's

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<v Speaker 1>in our organization that is more than a decade old.

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<v Speaker 1>It's based in Oakland, and it's a nonprofit that helps

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<v Speaker 1>to shape the next generation of leaders by recruiting what

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<v Speaker 1>they call diverse and talented students to spend eight immersive

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<v Speaker 1>months between high school and college, living overseas with a

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<v Speaker 1>host of family. Aaron, how are you. I'm doing great? Thanks,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks for having me. Yeah, thanks so much for joining us.

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<v Speaker 1>So we are living vicariously through all the students who

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<v Speaker 1>are taking time after high school to live outside of

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<v Speaker 1>the US. Talk to us a little bit about the

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<v Speaker 1>interest that you're seeing right now, because I do wonder

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<v Speaker 1>here we are on the hopefully getting close to the

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<v Speaker 1>other side of the pandemic, although I think this is

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<v Speaker 1>just here to stay. But I'm wondering what you're seeing

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<v Speaker 1>in terms of demand for the program right now as

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<v Speaker 1>we do navigate this new normal. Absolutely, the demand has

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<v Speaker 1>been has never been higher for the what for what

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<v Speaker 1>we're offering, and I think it continues to climb all

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<v Speaker 1>over the place as people rethink the linear path we've

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<v Speaker 1>been taking for education and think maybe maybe this linear

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<v Speaker 1>path is not serving all of our needs right now.

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<v Speaker 1>When you think about that a little bit differently, well,

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<v Speaker 1>think about little bit, what about the costs associated with

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<v Speaker 1>something like this, anything new given this inflationary environment. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>great question. We're thinking about that too. We're thinking about

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<v Speaker 1>how to think things are different now that we are

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<v Speaker 1>navigating this the moment, as you know, with regard to inflation,

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<v Speaker 1>also with regard to coming out of this pandemic, or

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<v Speaker 1>being still in this pandemic wherever we wanna, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>call ourselves there. But how do we think about our

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<v Speaker 1>programming that UM offers flexibility and also meets people where

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<v Speaker 1>they are financially right now? So a global citizen here,

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<v Speaker 1>we're committed to making sure that young people can do

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<v Speaker 1>this no matter what and have meaningful experiences. Yes, you

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<v Speaker 1>can take a gap year, you can work, that's an

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<v Speaker 1>awesome experience too, But having an experience where you can

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<v Speaker 1>actually UM learn, get get outside your comfort zone, travel

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<v Speaker 1>that's not available to everyone and it should be. So

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<v Speaker 1>how do we continue to think about financial aid for

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<v Speaker 1>those programs supporting young people from all different types of backgrounds,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's something that's very important to us. A global

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<v Speaker 1>citizen here, Well, how much does it cost? Darin? Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>so right now? So well, it's a good question because

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<v Speaker 1>we're about to launch, so it's gonna be a own.

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<v Speaker 1>We haven't set the pricing yet for us, but it's

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<v Speaker 1>about it can be around twenty five dollars to to

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<v Speaker 1>do something like this, and for us, that's the tuition mark,

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<v Speaker 1>and we think that this is an incredible experience. It's

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<v Speaker 1>uh certainly fits in with UH you know higher ed

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<v Speaker 1>and a semester at a higher ed institution. But what

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<v Speaker 1>we do is we meet you where you're at financially,

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<v Speaker 1>So if you get into Global Citizen here, you then

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<v Speaker 1>go through a financial aid process and you pay what

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<v Speaker 1>makes sense for you and your family. And that's something

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<v Speaker 1>that needs to be more accessible for for young people

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<v Speaker 1>and certainly is the only reason I got to have

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<v Speaker 1>the experience I got to have UM. But we meet

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<v Speaker 1>people where they are and make sure that they can

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<v Speaker 1>if they can get in UH, that that finances are

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<v Speaker 1>not the reason they can't do this. Where do a

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<v Speaker 1>lot of these students want to go, because unlike Lizzie McGuire,

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<v Speaker 1>it can't all be Italy. Where did they go? Right?

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<v Speaker 1>I think what we're finding is they want to go

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<v Speaker 1>to places that are UM less traveled. So we're finding

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<v Speaker 1>so we're we're launching this year, will be launching in

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<v Speaker 1>Cape Town. So South Africa was high on the list

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<v Speaker 1>of where young people wanted to go. UM, places like Ecuador, Mexico,

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of Spanish speaking countries you can imagine UM

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<v Speaker 1>and then also UM we're we're we're in India because

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<v Speaker 1>we we find that the other piece that we're noticing

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<v Speaker 1>for young people as they want to be where there's um.

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<v Speaker 1>They can see a lot of opportunity. They can see

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<v Speaker 1>the US, for example, interacting a lot um. They're on

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<v Speaker 1>a global stage. They're economically um, you know, an economic player, um.

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<v Speaker 1>And so they want to go to those places. But

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<v Speaker 1>they're also the places that aren't Italy, they aren't England.

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<v Speaker 1>They're a little bit different there there um more um

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<v Speaker 1>sort of they get to engage it a little bit differently.

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<v Speaker 1>What is the curriculum here, Aaron, Because when when you

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<v Speaker 1>send a seventeen eighteen year old abroad there there has

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<v Speaker 1>to be some structure to this. Yes, right, you're not

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<v Speaker 1>just sending them to another country to live with a

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<v Speaker 1>host family. Tell us about that structure. Yeah, so uh,

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<v Speaker 1>And what we're actually finding also from parents and students

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<v Speaker 1>is they want this blend of agency and structure. They

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<v Speaker 1>don't want to just be sent off to go um

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<v Speaker 1>explore somewhere. They want they want to they want the

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<v Speaker 1>learning that enhances what they're seeing and participating in. So

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<v Speaker 1>for us, it's the blend of experience plus the wrap

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<v Speaker 1>around uh curriculum that helps enhance the experience when you're

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<v Speaker 1>when you, you know, partner with global citizen your You

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<v Speaker 1>are placed in a community, you live in that community,

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<v Speaker 1>you work in that community every day, and you work

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<v Speaker 1>alongside local experts in that community. So they could be

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<v Speaker 1>experts like in air is, like human rights, they could

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<v Speaker 1>be experts in climate, climate change or education for example.

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<v Speaker 1>You're working alongside them, you're supporting the work, you're collaborating,

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<v Speaker 1>and then you're learning from them about the local context,

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<v Speaker 1>the local perspective, how that might be different than where

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<v Speaker 1>you came from. And it follows a pattern. So then

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<v Speaker 1>the curriculum overlays this experience, and the pattern is learn

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<v Speaker 1>about yourself, learn about your community that you're in right now,

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<v Speaker 1>and then learn about how that connects to the world

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<v Speaker 1>at large, so that you can have a much deeper

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<v Speaker 1>understanding of Um, the issues at hand and how complex

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<v Speaker 1>they are and what types of complex solutions are going

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<v Speaker 1>to be needed to meet the needs that we have today. Aaron,

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<v Speaker 1>is the working happening in a in a local language

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<v Speaker 1>or is it happening in English? Well, there are hopes

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<v Speaker 1>of learning the local language. Yeah, so to two different ways. So, Um,

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<v Speaker 1>when we we were in pre pandemic, we were in Ecuador,

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<v Speaker 1>and the king is happening in Spanish, so there's a

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<v Speaker 1>ramp up to the language. We also have been in

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<v Speaker 1>India where you're getting language classes but you're working in English,

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<v Speaker 1>and the same will happen in South Africa, you'll be

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<v Speaker 1>working in English. So uh, it's it depends on which

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<v Speaker 1>country you're going to. So Aaron, when you say working,

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<v Speaker 1>can you explain a little bit in terms of what

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<v Speaker 1>kind of roles they have? Yeah? So uh so for example,

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<v Speaker 1>so uh in Cape Town, we've partnered with thirty different

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<v Speaker 1>human rights organizations who have agreed and are excited to

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<v Speaker 1>have a young person who's hungry to get in and

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<v Speaker 1>um and be helpful in any way they can to

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<v Speaker 1>support their work. So they could be working on some

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<v Speaker 1>sort of campaign where they're um, you know, working with

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<v Speaker 1>the local community around issues related raising awareness on issues

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<v Speaker 1>related to a certain issue. That young person could join

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<v Speaker 1>that campaign and help, you know, distribute something, help come

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<v Speaker 1>up with the plan. Um. They would be really following

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<v Speaker 1>the direction of the local leader, but really an extra

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<v Speaker 1>set of arms, legs and and brainpower if if helpful. UM.

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<v Speaker 1>Another example, as we have a partnership in India where

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<v Speaker 1>we work with teach for India and the people who

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<v Speaker 1>go to India in our program, our teachers assistants, so

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<v Speaker 1>they're following the direction of the teacher, but they're doing

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<v Speaker 1>small groups. They're doing you know, interventions with young people

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<v Speaker 1>who maybe UH need extra help UM those types of things. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>I want to end Aaron just by a question I

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<v Speaker 1>think that parents would have if they can't afford something

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<v Speaker 1>like this, which and I know you said that they're

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<v Speaker 1>a good portion of the students who do go on

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<v Speaker 1>this uh do get financial aid. But if they are

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<v Speaker 1>thinking about this, how do they know if their kid

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<v Speaker 1>is ready just in the last minute that we have Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I mean I think that if you're what we're finding,

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<v Speaker 1>what parents are telling us is their their their kid

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<v Speaker 1>is ready for UM an experience. They want to they

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<v Speaker 1>want to create positive impact, and they want to take

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<v Speaker 1>that that desire and turn it into something that feels

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<v Speaker 1>real and tangible. UM. And if your kid is in

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<v Speaker 1>that camp where they're just itching to learn something outside

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<v Speaker 1>of a classroom, especially coming out of the pandemic, then

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<v Speaker 1>this type of opportunity is just rich UM with learning

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<v Speaker 1>that doesn't always happen in an academic setting. UM. And

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<v Speaker 1>I think that That's what I will be looking for, like,

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<v Speaker 1>is my child ready for something? Are they hungry for

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<v Speaker 1>something that gives them a little bit more meaning and

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<v Speaker 1>what they're doing a little more purpose, what they might study.

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<v Speaker 1>Then this is the this is the road to go.

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<v Speaker 1>We got to get a gap. You're going for the

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<v Speaker 1>parents out there, that's what that's what I want to see.

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<v Speaker 1>Aaron Llewellyn, chief executive officer at Global Citizen Year, joining

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<v Speaker 1>us be a zoom from Oakland, California. This is Bloomberg