With Geneseo’s admittance into the Clinton Global Initiative, the school pledges to spend $10,000 annually toward funding student projects. These projects are designed to positively affect global economic development, health and climate change. The Clinton Global Initiative is part of the Clinton Foundation, a non-profit company created by former President Bill Clinton, which aims to address pressing global issues. Membership into the Clinton Global Initiative gives Geneseo students a chance to gain further funding by participating in the Clinton Foundation’s yearly University Conference.
Interim President Carol Long and the Director of the Center for Inquiry, Discovery and Development Cynthia Oswald filled out Geneseo’s application for admittance into the Global Initiative.
“Our primary reason for wanting to get into the Clinton Global Initiative was that even though we have programs that fund student projects and research, once these projects are finished, we don’t have place to go with them,” Long said.
With the Clinton Global Initiative’s requirement that $10,000 be allocated toward student project funding comes the stipulation that $5,000 may be used for traveling expenses, while the other $5,000 must be directly allocated to funding student projects.
One such program that funds student projects is the Center for Inquiry, Discovery and Development. Current projects from the CIDD include a learning program targeted toward low-income children at a free preschool in Mount Morris, New York and the Geneseo Valley Cooperative, an off-campus housing program encouraging collaboration between Geneseo students and residents. Based on the strength of the projects currently receiving funding from CIDD, Oswald and Long are certain that Geneseo students will be accepted to participate at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative University Conference.
“What this does for us is it makes Geneseo part of a network of universities that carry out transformational projects that are making a significant impact on the world,” Oswald said. “The Clinton Initiative University Conference will be a great networking opportunity for those selected to participate.”
The 2015 Clinton Global Initiative University Conference will be held March 6 to 8 at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The deadline for those applying to participate in the conference and who seek travel assistance is October 17. The final deadline is December 1.
CIDD, however, plans on setting an earlier application deadline so that the center’s cabinet may review applications before applications are submitted to the Global Initiative. There are no limits on how many applications Geneseo may submit, but individual students or groups may only submit one application. Geneseo’s inclusion in the Global Initiative marks the first time that any SUNY school has gained acceptance into the program.
“This shows the commitments we have made toward supporting students have made a real impact,” Oswald said. “I know we will have students that will be accepted to the conference—I know it.”