About Us

'Give me a place to stand and I shall move the world.'
-Archimedes

We believe that young persons are a remarkable source of imagination and drive. Students should be given the resources and support in order to transform their ideas into action "so they can move the world."

The Global Institute for Leadership and Civic Development (GILCD) is an organization dedicated giving today's students the necessary skills and opportunities to become tomorrow's great leaders. In 1999, we started as a small grassroots organization. In the summer of 2000, we launched our first pilot program: the Global Leadership Program in Prague. Since then, we have educated hundreds of students from over 60 different countries. In addition, we have hosted programs in Argentina, Cuba, Thailand, Italy, and now the U.S. To reflect our growth, we are now the Global Institute for Leadership and Civic Development. We are among the first and few organizations to run programs which encompass all of the following essential components: academic courses, study abroad, international scholars, cultural immersion, rigorous leadership training, and active civic engagement.

Three key components of the foundation are:
Knowledge
GILCD is dedicated to providing education to young persons, focusing on, but not limited to:
Leadership
Communication
Gender
International Affairs

Opportunity
GILCD aims to provide young persons with new experiences and new roles. It is believed that doing so fosters self-development and awareness. In addition, we seek to provide international experiences so that young persons can have a better understanding of other cultures.

Inspiration
Each person should use his or her knowledge and experience to better society. GILCD seeks to inspire young persons to:

Become future social, business, educational, and political leaders
Create new programs
Make positive changes in society
Pass-on his or her knowledge to others