For the second straight year, Green River Community College is hosting student leaders from Bangladesh for a Leadership Institute as part of a federal grant program funded by the U.S. Department of State. In addition to participants from Bangladesh, this year’s group of 18 also includes students from India and Pakistan.

Green River Community College is the only two-year school and the only West Coast institution to host one of seven Study of the United States Institutes. Other institute hosts include the universities of Vermont, Arkansas, Minnesota, Alabama, and Southern Illinois.

Institute participants are highly motivated undergraduates from prominent universities and typically in their junior year, said Edith Bannister, vice president for extended learning and economic development at Green River. “These students have been competitively selected by the respective US embassies for their demonstrated leadership in academic work, community involvement and extracurricular activities.”

Students in the program at Green River will focus on leadership, social responsibility and service in the context of American society and gain a better understanding of U.S. history, politics, and culture as well as contemporary American life.

“This program exposes students positioned to be future leaders in their countries. Our community members have the opportunity to change perceptions about the United States and the American people,” added Bannister.

Students were welcomed by Lt. Governor Brad Owen during a visit to the State Capitol in Olympia on July 2. The following day, students took part in the Tall Ships Festival at Tacoma’s Commencement Bay.

More than 20 Green River faculty and staff will share their expertise with the students. Guest presenters from the community and faculty from the University of Washington in Tacoma will also round out the program. After a four-week comprehensive study program at the college, students will participate in a study tour of the Olympic Peninsula to focus on Native American cultures and leadership in natural resource management. The culmination of the program is a four-day conference in Washington DC hosted by the Academy for Academic Development and the State Department where all institute participants will gather to share their experiences.