High school senior passes diplomacy lessons to youths
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If 100 random Earthlings were plucked from their homes, an average of just three would have running water; only one would have a college education.
It's perhaps an astonishing statistic to most American teenagers, who are used to having basic necessities -- and no, that doesn't include an iPod -- on demand.
"The rest of the world is a really different place," said 18-year-old Dominic Panucci. "Many people don't realize that."
Dominic, a senior at Chartiers Valley High School, didn't have to leave America to learn those facts, or to explore more of the world and other cultures.
Last summer, he and 19 other local students participated in the debut of the "I Want to be an Ambassador!" camp, a seven-day program being offered again in June by Luminari, a Pittsburgh-based group devoted to fostering activities that broaden minds and inspire innovation.
Sponsored in part by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the nonprofit group was formed in 2009 by Hilda Pang Fu, a Hong Kong native who has lived in Pittsburgh for nearly 40 years.
Best known as a local philanthropist and champion of education and volunteerism, Ms. Pang Fu began Luminari to offer support for original, creative activities and promote out-of-the-box thinking.
According to its website, at www.luminari.org, the group was named after the Italian word "luminare," a reference to "creative visionaries who shared their light and knowledge in order to inspire others with their works."
Far from being a training course just for students interested in foreign service, the Ambassador camp zeroes in on the skills and lessons of diplomacy and how it affects outcomes in daily life.
Students learn to consider various viewpoints and are encouraged to spread what they've learned through their schools, neighborhoods and beyond, in a ripple effect.
Using some of the ideas developed during last year's camp, Dominic is one of those ripples, teaching his younger classmates what he learned through a Diplomacy Week that will be offered to eighth-graders at Chartiers Valley Middle School next month.
"It's like a miniature version of what the Ambassador camp did for me," said Dominic, the son of Dana and David Panucci of Collier. "It's amazing how much help I've received. Every eighth-grade teacher is supporting me."
First Published March 31, 2011 5:28 am
