Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) Meeting to be held at First Congregational Church of Old Lyme, Jan. 23
OLD LYME – The Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council (SECWAC) presents Megan O’Neill, a member of the Lyme-Old Lyme High School (LOLHS) Class of 2011, to speak on education in rural Africa at 6 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 23 at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme.
Imagine Scholar is an educational non-profit organization based in the Nkomazi region of South Africa. The organization’s innovative and sustainable approach to education is creating meaningful impact in the local community and re-imagining education systems for rural, underserved communities. Through working with high-achieving, low-income secondary school students in the development of leadership, critical thinking, and community-mindedness, Imagine Scholar aims to build Africa’s next generation of change-makers.
O’Neill has spent the last five years working with Imagine Scholar. After graduating from LOLHS, she received a degree in Africana Studies from Dickinson College. Shortly after graduating from Dickinson, she moved to South Africa to join Imagine Scholar‘s staff, where she now serves as Associate Director.
She spent over three years working in South Africa with Imagine Scholar‘s students, where she facilitated classes centered around effective and empathetic communication skill development, developed curriculum for the program and mentored students through the university application process. She now leads Imagine Scholar‘s efforts in fundraising and strategic partnership development.
Visit this link to read more about Megan and the work she undertakes for Imagine Scholar.
A reception will start at 5:30 p.m., with the main event beginning at 6 p.m. The presentation is a part of the SECWAC 2019-2020 Speaker Series.
For non-members, tickets ($20) may be purchased at the door; ticket cost can subsequently be applied towards a SECWAC membership. Attendance is free for SECWAC members (and their guests). Membership September 2019 through June 2020 is $85 per person; $25 for young professionals under 35; free for students and educators; a corporate rate of $1,000 is also available, with unlimited access for employees.
Immediately following the presentation, SECWAC meeting attendees have the option for $40 to attend a dinner with the speaker at the Old Lyme Country Club. Dinner reservations are required by Friday, Jan. 17, at 860-912-5718 or online.
SECWAC is a regional, nonprofit, membership organization affiliated with the World Affairs Councils of America (WACA). The organization dates back to 1999, and has continued to arrange 8-10 Speaker Series meetings annually, between September and June. The meetings range in foreign affairs topics, and are hosted at venues along the I-95 corridor, welcoming members and guests from Stonington to Old Saybrook, and beyond.
SECWAC’s mission is “to foster an understanding of issues of foreign policy and international affairs through study, debate, and educational programming.” It provides a forum for nonpartisan, non-advocacy dialogue between members and speakers, who can be U.S. policymakers, educators, authors, and other experts on foreign relations. Learn more at http://secwac.org.