ALI GHANDOUR CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP DIVERSITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
The center is named in honor of Ali Ghandour '50 who is an avid believer in social activism and a true visionary.
The center is endowed by two of his children, Fadi Ghandour and Raghida Ghandour al Rahim.
AGC: Meet the Force Behind It All
The Ali Ghandour Center for Leadership, Diversity, and Civic Engagement bridges community development with experiential learning through a transformative model. It equips students with essential life skills and value systems, building on the Community Engaged Learning (CEL) model, thereby empowering them to become active agents of change.
Established in 2019 by IC and the Ghandour family, the Ali Ghandour Center is the first community-based learning center of its kind at the secondary school level in the region. The program offers students exposure to national, regional, and international speaker events, training programs, and competitions in various fields, including social entrepreneurship, project design, and public speaking. The goal is to provide students with the skills and tools to embrace leadership, civic engagement, and active citizenship over a three-year journey:
- Grade 10 - level 1
- Grade 11 – Level 2
- Grade 12 – Level 3
Grade 10 – Level 1
Level 1 of the AGC program focuses on developing students' soft skills through tailored training and workshops. These sessions help students achieve leadership and civic engagement milestones, with a focus on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, students will volunteer in carefully selected civic engagement initiatives.
Grade 11 – Level 2
Level 2 continues building on students' soft skills, with a stronger emphasis on practical application. Students will assess community needs, plan their Community Service Projects (CSPs), pitch their project ideas, and begin implementation. This level introduces project cycle management skills, enabling students to design projects in partnership with communities for mutual benefit. Students will also pitch their projects to classmates and peers, inviting collaboration and expanding the potential impact of their initiatives.
Grade 12 – Level 3
Level 3 focuses on creating a vision for the long-term sustainability of students’ projects. Students will finalize the implementation of their projects, assess their project impact, and continue building partnerships with focused NGOs and community organizations to ensure sustainability for their initiatives.
Students document and disseminate their project results through an insightful short film.
Throughout the program, students will be exposed to local and international opportunities that encourage prosocial behaviors and empower them to become change agents. In addition to providing the skills necessary for university admissions, both in Lebanon and internationally, the program inspires students' personal growth, leadership abilities, and sense of responsibility.
The Purpose of AGC:
Empower academically outstanding yet financially disadvantaged students to participate alongside a select group of IC peers in a rigorous leadership and civic engagement program. This program will prepare them to become active agents of change in their communities while also disseminating the center's unique community engaged learning (CEL) model to other schools around Lebanon.