The goal of the Global Studies Program is to develop active, engaged global citizens. To expose ourselves to new ideas and opinions, we host speakers at Watkinson School, Skype with experts around the world and travel to talks, plays, conferences and more.
2022/23 Events
FALL
Thurs Sept 22 2022 Stowe Prize Dr. Clint Smith, author of How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery across America the Stowe Cente
Fri Sept 23 Global Security Forum World Affairs Council of CT Goodwin College
Sun Sept 25 Rosh Hashanah in the Park Elizabeth Park, West Hartford
Thurs Sept 29 30 Americans New Britain Museum of American Art
Thurs Oct 6 My Children! My Africa! HeartBeat Ensemble Play
Wed Oct 12 As Ukraine Goes, So Goes The World - Thoughts On Propaganda, Violence, And Democracy- Timothy Snyder, Ph.D. UCONN Dodd Center for Human Rights
Thurs Oct 13 Abraham Accords Virtual Talk World Affairs Council of CT
Thurs Oct 13 Half-Earth Day Virtual Conference
Fri Oct 14 CT Forum: How Music Moves Us
Thurs Oct 20 FIELD TRIP w/ CAP: MASS MoCA & William College Museum of Art *Required
Fri Oct 21 Climate and Environmental Justice in the 21st Century UCONN Law
Thurs Nov 10 ADL Never is Now Summit Leave campus for the Javits Center NYC
Tues Nov 15 CT Forum: Evening with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor
Wed Nov 16 China Town Hall (register here) with Jon M Huntsman Jr (Virtual)
Thurs Nov 17 Sustainable Design with the architect, Bruce Becker, Seminar Speaker
Thurs Dec 8 Requiem for the Massacre: A Black History on the Conflict, Hope, and Fallout of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre with RJ Young Virtual- Mark Twain Center
Mon Dec 12 Peniel E. Joseph on The Third Reconstruction: America's Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-First Century Virtual Mark Twain Center
Fri Jan 13 Watkinson’s MLK Day Observance
Jan 16 MLK Day Events- free, virtual events
SPRING
Fri Jan 1/27 Friday Prayers @ Farmington Valley American Muslim Center
Sun Jan 1/29 Service at First Cathedral Baptist Church, Bloomfield
Sun Jan 1/29 Service at ISKCON of Connecticut Hindu Temple
Wed Feb 1 University of Hartford MLK Event Keynote Speaker: Rosa Alicia Clemente
Wed March 8 Global Changemakers International Women’s Day World Affairs Council CT
Thurs Mar 23 CT Forum: Misinformation and Finding the Truth **Required**
March Seminar video conference with a refugee through the NaTakallam program
March Private movie showing at Real Art Ways **Required**
March Where There Be Dragons speaker
Wed Apr 19 FIELD TRIP w/ CAP: NYC Trip- All Day event **Required**
Apr Social Justice Day at Watkinson
Apr Yom Hashoah Holocaust Observance (Required for seniors- B block)
Apr Taste of Ramadan Community Dinner
May Movie Day with Creative Arts Program
Thurs May 4 CT Forum: Husky Nation
Thurs May 18 Global Studies Evening
June Parkville Market, Hartford Final Exam: Activity & Lunch!
2021/22
Sept 28 Migration & Motherhood Panel of refugees & NGOs. Virtual event w/ NaTakallam
Sept 28-Oct 2 Global Security Forum: Competing for the Future World Affairs Council of CT
Goodwin College & Virtual
Oct 10 ADL’s Walk Against Hate **On-Campus REQUIRED**
Oct 16- Nov 6 Miss Porters Global Seminar Series for Girls: Global Spread of Political
Polarization: Saturdays
Oct 18` FIELD TRIP w/ CAP: Bethel Woods Center at Woodstock, NY. American culture.
Oct 19 China Town Hall & Teleconference Webinar with Fareed Zakaria
Oct 22 Half-Earth Day Virtual Conference Leave No Species Behind Talks through the day.
Oct 23 Watkinson's Day of Community and Belonging, a virtual intraschool conference
Oct 28 Hagar as a Model of Faith: A Jewish and Muslim Perspective Hartford Seminary
Nov 7-9 ADL Never is Now Summit. *Virtual* Please attend at least one event.
Nov 11 Arvin Singh, Seminar Speaker Fairy Creek Blockades, Where There Be Dragons
Dec 9 CT Forum: Creative Minds
Dec 13 Seminar video conference with a Syrian refugee through the NaTakallam program
Jan 15 Watkinson’s MLK Day Observance
Jan 18 MLK Day Events- free, virtual events
Feb 8 University of Hartford 2022 MLK Keynote Speaker: Yamiche Alcindor Online Event
Feb 25 CT Forum: The Fight For Racial Justice **Required**
March 2 Global Changemakers International Women’s Day World Affairs Council CT
March 24 Flee Documentary private showing at Real Art Ways **Required**
Mon Apr 4 Seminar with Dr. Hazza Abu Rabia- Palestinian history and culture
Tues Apr 5 Palestine Museum, US & Dinner with Sanctuary Kitchen
Sat Apr 9 CT Forum: Life in 2042
Mon Ari 25 Yom Hashoah Holocaust Observance (Required for seniors)
Mon May 2 Belfast Movie Day with Creative Arts Program
Tues May 10 A Night with President Lech Wałęsa CT World Affairs Council
Fri May 11 Freshly Squeezed with Dennis House - Sparking Joy Against the Odds @ Watkinson
Fri May 13 CT Forum: Brandon Stanton- creator of Humans of New York
Sat May 14 Service at Emanuel Synagogue, West Hartford
Sun May 15 Service at First Cathedral Baptist Church, Bloomfield
Mon May 16 Seminar with Tom Gromak & Steve Reige- Khmer Magic Music Bus
Tues May 17 Social Justice Day at Watkinson **Required**
Thurs May 19 Global Studies Evening
Fri May 20 A Conversation with Andrew Young CT World Affairs Council
Fri May 20 Friday Prayers @ Farmington Valley American Muslim Center & Conversation
with Imam Safwan Shaikh, Religious Leader & Youth Director
Fri June 3 Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
Mon June 6 Parkville Market, Hartford Final Exam: Activity & Lunch!
2020-21 Events
Thurs Sept 17 Welcome to the New World: with Jake Halpern & Michael Sloan webinar IRIS
Fri Sept 18** Erev Rosh Hashanah Service- online this year. Congregation Beth Israel
Sun Sept 20 Environment, Justice, Identity, and the 2020 Elections webinar
Wed Sept 23 Stowe Prize: An Intimate Conversation with Albert Woodfox: Incarceration in the US & legacy of slavery
Sept 29-Oct 2 Global Security Forum: Battlefronts World Affairs Council of CT.
Sun Oct 4 Stowe Prize: An Interactive Experience with Albert Woodfo on US Incarceration
Wed Oct 14 "Representation of Latino Art" workshop with Valentín Concha-Núñez
Wed Oct 14* CT Forum: Debating Immigration
Thurs, Oct 15 Gendered Justice: Female Perpetrators and Extremism GW Program on Extremism
Sat, Oct 17 Global Seminar Series: Democracy Miss Porter’s Institute
Sun, Oct 18 ADL Walk Against Hate & Concert Against Hate
Through Oct 27 “This is Our Chance” film festival about the power of young people.
Mon, Oct 19-23 The Jackson Laboratories Open House for Students
Tues, Oct 20 Terrorism Prosecutions: Acting U.S. Attorney Seth D. DuCharme GWU Program on Extremism
Wed Oct 21 Voting Rights & Voter Suppression in CT w/ Bishop John Selders & Laura Smits
Wed Oct 21 Suppressed 2020: The Fight to Vote Film & Talk w/ Dr. Stefanie Chambers, Trinity Coll.
Thurs Oct 22 Half-Earth Day Virtual Event & Talks
Mon Oct 26 Election 2020 U.S. Foreign Policy Forum Council on Foreign Relations
Tues Oct 27 American Dreams Virtual Performance HartBeat Ensemble
Nov 8- 22 ADL Never is Now Conference. You are encouraged to attend at least one event.
Nov 10-18 China Town Hall & Teleconference
Nov 17-20 UN Tours & Briefings with UN, WHO, UNICEF, & ILO
Sat, Nov 21 Open Border Virtual Conference
Mon, Nov 23 Northeast Multimodal and Transit Summit
Through Nov 28 The Who & The What TheaterWorks Hartford streaming play by Ayad Akhtar.
Mon Nov 30th Pulitzer Prize-winner Ayad Akhtar and author Azar Nafisi. Mark Twain House & Museum
Fri Dec 4 Friday Prayers with Farmington Valley American Muslim Center and Conversation with Safwan Shaikh, Religious Leader & Youth Director
Mon Dec 7 Seminar with Students from Hartford Seminary: Interfaith Dialogue
By Dec 7** Religious Services- during school or weekend online services.
Mon Jan 18 MLK Day Events
Thurs Jan 21 The Capital Riot, QAnon, and the Internet
Tues Feb 2 Lessons From Apartheid: How Americans Can Join Across Racial Differences
Wed Feb 10 Resistance, Activism, and Getting into Good Trouble with Dr. Yusef Salaam Hartford Black History Month
Wed Feb 24* Quincy Amarikwa, MLS Soccer player & founder of Black Players for Change
Tues Mar 2 Leadership Through Crisis: International Women’s Day World Affairs Council CT
Thurs Mar 25 CT Forum: Our Favorite Authors
Tues March 30* Loomis Chaffee’s Youth Climate & Environment Virtual Town Hall with Sen. Richard Blumenthal
Thurs April 8 Yom Hashoah Holocaust Observance (required for seniors)
Thurs Apr 15 CT Forum: Happiness, Meaning & Fulfillment
Fri April 23* Equity and Social Justice Day at Watkinson
Wed Apr 28* From Hate to Hope: A Journey of Redemption Megan Phelps-Roper talk with ADL
Thurs Apr 29* Seminar Skype with Peterson Toscano: The Intersection of Religion & Climate Change
May 18-20* Global Studies Evenings
Late May Seminar video conference with a refugee through the NaTakallum program
2019-20 Events
Sun Sept 8 Welcoming the Stranger: Fundraiser & Talk with Refugees & IRIS West Hartford
Fri Sept 20 CT Forum: Conversation with Seth Meyers
Sat Sept 28 Global Security Forum World Affairs Council @ Goodwin College
Sun Sept 29** Rosh Hashanah in the Park Congregation Beth Israel in Elizabeth Park
Wed Oct 2* Freshly Squeezed: The Normalization of Hate Watkinson
Sat Oct 12 THE INVESTIGATION- A Crime in 10 Acts HartBeat Ensemble @ Charter Oak Cultural Center
Sun Oct 13*** American-Chinese Cultural Exchange: Fall Festival at Lyman Orchards
Wed Oct 16 Global Economy: How Stories Go Viral & Drive Major Economic Events CT World Affairs Council
Fri Nov 1 An Evening with Vicente Fox, former President of Mexico CT World Affairs Council
Nov 1-3** Religious Services at a local faith center- Attending with Wat or on your own
Mon Nov 4* Assembly & Seminar w/ Dorje Dolma, author of Yak Girls
Thurs Nov 7 Bryan Stevenson winner of 2019 Thomas J. Dodd Prize in International Justice and Human Rights @ UCONN
Nov 16 or 17*** American-Chinese Cultural Exchange: A Dong Supermarket
Mon Nov 18 China Town Hall & Teleconference CT World Affairs Council Trinity Coll
Thurs Nov 21 ADL’s Never is Now National Conference- all day in NYC
Fri Nov 22 CT Forum: Climate Crisis
Fri Dec 13* Field Trip to NYC: Auschwitz Exhibit @ Museum of Jewish Heritage & Come From Away on Broadway
Sat Jan 11*** American-Chinese Cultural Exchange: American Grocery Stores
Fri Jan 17 Just Mercy movie at a local theater on the afternoon of our MLK Day
Tues Jan 21*. Empathy & Travel Seminar w/ Colleen Dougherty Where There Be Dragons Instructor
Sun Jan 26 Welcoming Strangers to Our Tents: Honoring the Legacy of Abraham Farmington Valley American Muslim Center Avon, CT
Sun Feb 2 Run For Refugees with IRIS in New Haven
Sat Feb 8*** American-Chinese Cultural Exchange: Lunarfest at Yale
Thurs Feb 13* Manahatta play at Yale Rep & Visit Native American Art Exhibit @ Yale Art Museum
Thurs Feb 20* Seminar Skype with a Syrian refugee, a NaTakallum program
Mon Mar 2 Disinformation, Propaganda, and Political Warfare World Affairs Council CT
Tues Mar 3 Global Changemakers: Int’l Women’s Day World Affairs Council CT @ St Joe's Univ
Wed Mar 4* Equity and Social Justice Day at Watkinson
Thurs Mar 5 Seminar Skype with Mohammad Alabbadi, refugee expert in Germany
Mon Apr 27 Yom Hashoah Holocaust Observance
May 11 & 14 Seminar Skype with Peterson Toscano, COVID & Climate Resiliency
May 18-21 Global Studies Evenings
Sat May 2-23 Pandemic- A Call to Action A Global Meet-Up with Miss Porter’
Notes:
* Mandatory Events off-campus or during school
**Religious Event: Each student is required to attend a religious service on their own or with Watkinson
***American-Chinese Cultural Exchange: Each student is required to one event
"An overarching theme throughout all of the events I attended this trimester seemed to be a call for love and compassion for all, and a plea for open dialogue and respect for all viewpoints." Sam V '18, Global Studies Diploma Student
2017/18 EVENTS
03/12/2023
SPRING EVENTS
Spring highlights include West African drumming, volunteering at a fundraise for local Syrian refugees, visiting Integrated Refugee & Immigration Services (IRIS- pictured) and attending the play, Kiss, at Yale Rep. Check out our spring events.
Fri Mar 16 8pm
CONNECTICUT FORUM
THE STATE OF JOURNALISM & THE NEWS: Who and what do we trust? How do we become smarter news consumers? What’s the future of journalism and the news media in our divided – and connected – world.
Thurs Mar 15
SCREENING & DISCUSSION: LIFE ON PAROLE
This Frontline documentary, Life on Parole, explore the lives of four people on parole in CT. The discussion will include former parolees and criminal justice professionals.
Mon Feb 26
SKYPE WITH SYRIAN REFUGE
The NaTakallam (We Speak) organization brings Ghenwah, a Syrian women currently living in Turkey to our classroom to tell us her story.
Tues Feb 20
DAMNING THE MEKONG: JESSICA ARMSTRONG CLASS VISIT
SE Asia expert and Where There Be Dragons instructor visits our class to discuss issues related to how people use the Mekong River
Wed Feb 28 6pm
THE MEANING OF JERUSALEM
Join the World Affairs Council of CT for an interfaith conversation on the spiritual and cultural meanings underpinning today’s conflict over the city of Jerusalem. Moderated by Heidi Hadsell, President of the Hartford Seminary.
Thurs Feb 15 5pm
MANY FAITHS, ONE CONVERSATION
Harriet Beecher Stowe Center: Salons at Stowe. Conversation with Abraham's Daughters, women of Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions.
Tues Jan 16 10:00am
CLASS VISIT WITH YA RATH
Music performance and talk with Ya Rath, a Cambodian-American musician about his culture, experiences in both America and Cambodia, and traditional Khmer music.
Thurs Dec 7 1:30pm
SKYPE WITH BROOK LARMER
We had a conversation about the current Rohingya refugee crisis with NYTimes and National Geographic writer, Brook Larmer, and his experiences reporting from this part of the world.
Dec 15 **Required
BANGSOKOL: A REQUIEM FOR CAMBODIA & NYC TRIP
This required field trip will take us to the Brooklyn Academy of Music to see this Cambodian performance piece and act of cultural renewal, the Brooklyn Museum to explore activism and identity through art, and a visit to the New World Mall in Flushing- NYC's largest Chinatown.
Nov 30
HUMAN FLOW ***REQUIRED
This flim shown at Real Art Ways. This stunning movie explores the human rights issues related to the current refugee crisis. Produced and directed by internationally renowned Chinese artist and human rights activist Ai Weiwe.
Mon Nov 13 @ 4:30
AMBASSADOR OF PAKISTAN
It was an incredible honor for the Global Studies students to meet Ambassador of Pakistan, H.E . Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry at this World Affairs Council of CT event.
Wed Nov 8 Time 6:30-8pm
THE MIDDLE EAST 2017: GAME OF PAWNS & STUDENT PRE-TALK
This event will start with a chance to interact with peers in a discussion about the major players in The Middle East. Stay to hear from former Israeli Intelligence Official Avi Melamed as he goes beyond the headlines and journey into the minds of major Middle Eastern leaders and their pawns. World Affairs Council of CT event at Infinity Hall Hartford, CT.
Wed Nov 1 7:00pm **Required
ONEIKA RAYMOND AT WATKINSON
In addition to her assembly, Oneika will speak that evening. Oneika writes “Oneika the Traveller”, an award-winning travel blog dedicated to exploring cultures and inspiring, encouraging, and empowering both women and people of color to see the world.
Tues Oct 24 Time TBD
CHINA TOWN HALL & STUDENT PRE-TALK
Debate and discuss China's evolving role in the United States and its impact on Connecticut. Stay for a live webcast with former National Security Adviser Susan Rice. World Affairs Council of CT event.
Wed Oct 18 5:30-7pm
NORTH KOREA CRISIS
This event hosted by the World Affairs Council will be at Infinity Hall in Hartford.
Wed Oct 4 **Required
THE GREAT DEMOCRACY SUGGESTION BOX!, FRESHLY SQUEEZED
Lively conversation here at Watkinson!
Sat Sept 30 9-3:30
GLOBAL SECURITY FORUM
With a new administration and a shifting global order, what are top security challenges facing the United States? The World Affairs Council is hosting this event at Goodwin College. Keynote speaker is General George W. Casey, Jr. U.S. Army, Retired (pictured)
Thurs Sept 28 8pm **Required
CT FORUM: EVENING WITH SUPREME COURT JUSTICE STEPHEN BREYER
Justice Breyer will talk about his life, career and new book, The Court and the World: American Law and the New Global Realities. Learn more
Wed Sept 27 Club Time **Required
CAITLIN WOLFE, GLOBAL HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGIST
Caitlin will share her experience fighting Ebola and malaria in Africa. Read about her work to get ready for her talk.
Mon Sept 25 1:30pm **Required
SKYPE CALL WITH ADAM ALTER, AUTHOR OF OUR SUMMER READ IRRESISTIBLE.
We'll get to talk with Adam and ask him questions about his views on the influence of technology on all of us.
Wed Sept 13 @ 4:45pm
GLENN LIGON & HUEY COPELAND IN CONVERSATION (RACE & AFRICAN AMERICAN ART), WADSWORTH ATHENEUM
Get a little background before attending this event for juniors ONLY at the Wadsworth Atheneum.