Educational opportunities at the Action Center
The Action Center is a place to learn about our world and the interesting and tough challenges of our day. Join us to explore global issues through Mercy Corps’ work in more than 40 countries around the world. Go beyond the headlines to understand the causes of global poverty. Get your students talking about why it all matters – at home and abroad.
We’re open year-round for students from middle school through college.
To schedule a workshop or get more information: education@mercycorps.org
Click here for our Summer Camps!
Two-Hour Workshops
$5 per student
Our two-hour workshops are run by experienced educators. Your students will engage in lively discussions and small group work, using media and role-playing to tap into new ways of thinking. By focusing on a specific region where Mercy Corps works, students begin to understand the complexities of global poverty and get an on-the-ground, real-life look into urgent global issues.
Choose from our two-hour workshops below. All are available as single sessions or in a series of your design.
Global Issues
Life without Lights
How does energy in the form of electricity change lives, communities and economies? Energy is so much more than just light. Energy is at the center of health, jobs, safety, educational success - yet millions of people live without it. Discover how appropriate technology and social change are connected.
The Forecast Says: Climate Change Causes Poverty
How is climate change a major cause of poverty? And how can communities around the world prepare for the climate of the future?
Who Has the Food – and Who’s Going Hungry?
What does it mean to be food secure? We do produce enough to feed the world – why are millions of people still hungry?
Violence, Upheaval — and the Challenges of Rebuilding
Wars and other human conflict have profound effects on communities. When families do return home, they must rebuild in a place that’s different from the one they left. We’ll explore the challenges of conflict, displacement and return.
Can I Go to School, Too?
Around the world, children would give anything to go to school. What keeps 67 million children from getting the education they so desperately want?
Small Loans are Changing the World
You’ve probably heard about the micro-loans that are transforming life for many poor people. Why do we need new kinds of loans? Who benefits from alternatives to traditional economic development?
Skill Building
Art + Action = Artivism
Got a passion? Got a vision? Learn how to fuse your medium and your message to make a powerful statement.
Can't We All Just Get Along?
Life without conflict would be boring, so how do we make conflict constructive? When and how do you react to conflict? Find out how these interactions either increase or reduce your chances of resolution.
Sorry, I Don't Understand... Could You Speak Slower?
Language can be a barrier or a bridge. So can behavior, attitudes and technology. In our fast-paced world, there are lots of ways to connect – or not.
I Can Make Stories: Getting a Handle On Digital Storytelling
Digital tools have never been more powerful, varied and easy to use. Learn how to turn your great story into a visual, ambient masterpiece. (Amount of time will affect technology use. All day option available. Inquire for more info.)
Leadership
Why is someone an influential leader? It was not luck! Learn how to identify your strengths as a leader and how to collaborate with other styles of leadership.
If You Raise It, They Will Come
There are lots of organizations that value a skilled fundraiser. Learn the essentials and how to get started.
Put Your Blog To Work
How can blog writing be a tool for social change?
Community Development
International Development 101
When disaster strikes and help is needed, what happens next? Look deeper at the roadblocks, relationships, and expectations that development professionals experience everyday in crisis situations.
Community Mobilization
When you know how to get people working together, you can start solving big problems. How do we start to analyze problems and assess our community practices? Find out how to look deeper at problems and recognize where social change can occur.
It’s time to go to work (but it’s not nine to five!)
International development work is not your run-of-the-mill career. The pace is fast, the intellectual demands rigorous, the passion intense. Learn what happens behind the scenes at Mercy Corps HQ. (All day option available)
Additional Programs
International Development Immersion
This offering is a 20-hour intensive introduction to international development for students who want to become involved in their global and local community. Students learn about global poverty, examine an issue in depth, and plan a project based on the best practices of community development. Dive into the issues that keep you up at night. Please inquire for more information on content and fees.
Service Learning Partnership
We partner with schools to offer in depth service learning. Students take four workshops, one introduction and overview, one issue, one skill, one community mobilization, and after completing their required service learning project, a final reflection workshop. Our four-part series is designed to help students acquire the skills and understanding they need to take effective action – together with their class – in their school and/or community. Please inquire for more information on content and fees.
Free Group Tour
A free Action Center tour is available to groups that would like a short introduction and overview. After the tour, your group can continue to explore the Action Center and exhibit space on your own.