World Citizen Essay Contest Celebration: The International Year of Sustainable Tourism
May 2nd, 2017
The United Nations General Assembly has named 2017 The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. The resolution recognizes the importance of international tourism "in fostering better understanding among peoples everywhere, in leading to a greater awareness of the rich heritage of various civilizations and in bringing about a better appreciation of the inherent values of different cultures, thereby contributing to the strengthening of peace in the world."
Join us to celebrate The International Year of Sustainable Tourism and our Global Classroom's World Citizen Essay Contest on sustainable travel!
This year was our most popular essay contest yet! More than 500 Washington students in the 3rd through 12th grade responded to the following prompt:
The United Nations has declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. Now is your chance to engage as a Sustainable Traveler…You have won an all-expenses-paid trip to the destination of your choice. In 1,000 words or less, describe where you will go (and why), and explain what steps you will take to make sure that your travels are truly sustainable.
Learn more about how Washington students in the 3rd-12th grades engaged with the topic of sustainable travel, and hear from Expedia, Inc.'s Head of Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Relations, Katherine Cheng about Expedia's work in supporting sustainable tourism. Our celebration ceremony will spotlight the 9 students who wrote winning World Citizen Essays in Elementary school, Middle School, and High School. Essay Contest participants and winners will be recognized by Katherine Cheng and World Affairs Council President and CEO Jacqueline Miller. We will also hear from Eileen Hynes, our 19th Annual World Educator recipient about why global education and exchange is more important now than ever.
Keynote Speaker: Katherine Cheng
Katherine Cheng oversees corporate grants and giving, volunteerism, and community engagement at Expedia, Inc.