Faculty member's UN Youth Corps initiative earns top recognition by global organization

When the United Nations General Assembly formed a global network of centers to accelerate global objectives on the local level, CCU Professor of Politics Pamela Martin saw an opportunity.

She, along with the National Estuarine Research Reserve North Inlet-Winyah Bay and the Bunnelle Foundation, started Georgetown RISE, which stands for resilience, innovation, sustainability and education. The mission of Georgetown RISE is to align Georgetown County with global objectives by promoting productive dialogue and collaboration within the county so that future generations can enjoy a quality of life as we have.

Part of Georgetown RISE is the youth corps, comprised of CCU student interns placed at multiple businesses and organizations throughout Georgetown County. 

That facet of Georgetown RISE has earned global recognition. The Georgetown RISE Youth Corps earned an Outstanding Flagship Project designation from the Global RCE Service Centre in December, which was announced at a global conference in Cebu, Philippines, Dec. 7-9.

The Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) Awards for Innovative Projects on Education for Sustainable Development are awarded annually in three categories: Outstanding Flagship Project, Acknowledge Flagship Project, and Honorable Mention. 

Per the RCE, "The award recognizes projects and programs that bridge local and global perspectives on sustainable development, those that engage with transformative learning and research, and initiatives that contribute to community engagement, research and development, and capacity development of stakeholders and partners."

Other Outstanding Flagship Projects include those submitted from Mexico, Scotland and Western Sydney University. This is the seventh year the awards have been part of the Global RCE Conference.