Each year, over 700 middle and high school students participate in WorldLink's Youth Town Meeting, where they meet with representatives from public and private organizations. YTMs are grounded in the belief that youth have much to offer and much to gain from discussion with experts and professionals regarding the complexities and challenges of international affairs.

---

The 2012-2013 student-selected theme is:

"Changing Worlds: Media's Power and Influence"

The 16th Annual Youth Town Meeting was held on Thursday, January 24, 2013,

focusing on:

Social Media's Revolutionary Change
The Relevance of Traditional Media
The Relationship Between Media and Government
Media as a Humanitarian Voice
Media as a Global Activist

 

Registration: Unlike other WorldLink events, the Youth Town Meeting is by invitation only. Over 750 students attend each year's keystone event. If you are interested in learning how you can attend, please e-mail Debbie M. Martinez.

WorldLink Reader: Access the 2013 Reader today! The annual WorldLink Reader is produced by high school interns, and provides fellow youth important background knowledge on topics of WorldLink's Youth Town Meeting.

Youth Town Meeting Documentary: Throughout the 2012 summer, Colin Czech (senior at The Bishop's School), interviewed students who were former Youth Town Meeting delegates, moderators and photojournalists. He captured the students' reactions to the day's discussions and activities.

Watch the documentary below!

ATTENTION STUDENTS:

Students who would like to take a leadership role during the Youth Town Meeting are encouraged to sign up as a moderator, journalist or photographer!

Moderators are responsible for running the conference briefing sessions and ensuring these sessions are a success. All moderators are responsible for introducing their assigned speaker, keeping the speaker to his/her allotted time, running the Question & Answer period, maintaining the flow and mediating discussions.

Journalists/Photographers are given a Press Pass during the YTM. Journalists are responsible for writing an article(s) about specific briefing sessions. Photographers are responsible for documenting the various sessions and day's activities. Each year, the student journalists and photographers produce WorldLink's 16-page newspaper, under the direction of the student Editor-In-Chief. To learn about how to apply for the Editor-In-Chief position, please see WorldLink Spring Internship. This newspaper is distributed to more than 2,000 students, teachers, community leaders, donors and potential donors all over the world.

NOTE: This year's selected applicants attended a mandatory training on Saturday, January 19, 2013, where the moderators met from 9:30am-12:30pm and journalists/photographers met from 2:00-4:00pm.

 

Sponsor a School The economic crisis has deeply affected school budgets. Fiscal reform measures are cutting billions of dollars from K-12 schools, eliminating several school programs and participation in extracurricular activities. As WorldLink students and their families from both sides of the border continue to feel the brunt of the global economic crisis, students from underprivileged areas are at greatest risk of being unable to cover the costs associated with transportation to USD.   To respond to this need, WorldLink is seeking school sponsorships. A $2,000 donation covers a school delegation’s (35 students, 2 chaperones) transportation, breakfast, lunch, YTM souvenir and a contribution towards a guest speaker’s travels.   If you are interested in sponsoring a school or contributing towards a school’s partial costs, please contact Debbie Martinez.

 

Volunteer The Youth Town Meeting is closed to the public. However, the general public may volunteer at this event. If you are interested in taking part in this incredible event, join us as a volunteer! This is a great opportunity for you to serve as mentors for high school students from San Diego and Baja Mexico, and to connect with leading experts in the field of international affairs.   Volunteer Time Slots: 6:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.: All Day (strongly preferred) 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.: Morning 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.: Afternoon Breakfast and lunch are provided for volunteers on the day of the event. WorldLink’s 16th YTM was held on January 24, 2013. If you would like to volunteer for next year's YTM, please contact Debbie Martinez, WorldLink Program Officer.