IFY 2021
2021 International Forum on Youth
November 15 - 19, 2021
Mission Statement
As an innovative higher education institution, at College of the Canyons (COC), we pride ourselves in offering an accessible, enriching learning environment where our students excel in their academic and skill preparations. To meet our College's mission, as stated in our Mission Statement, COC "embraces diversity, fosters technical competencies, [and] supports the development of global responsibilities." To that end, the Office of International Services and Programs (ISP) hosts an annual International Forum on Youth (IFY) where we invite distinguished scholars and experts to the campus, in conjunction with our local and campus experts, to hold lectures, panels, and discussion forums to raise awareness on issues youth of this generation face, to reshape cultural and historical narratives about the youth, as well as to recognize and celebrate their courage and triumph as the future leaders of the world.
Vision Statement
Being a leading 2-year college, College of the Canyons wants to be recognized as an innovative, inclusive, and entrepreneurial higher education learning institution. By implementing key tenets of Comprehensive Internationalization on campus, the Office of International Services and Programs (ISP), in its three-year strategic planning cycle, uses the format of this forum to raise our global profile, to further timely and scholarly dialogue on international matters, and to create opportunities where our students not only learn from scholars and experts across the globe but have the opportunity to voice their vision for the betterment of the world.
The themes for the three-year strategic planning cycle for the IFY are:
2019 - Identity
2020 - Migration
2021 - Transition
Objectives
- Foster strong scholarship among faculty and connections with international scholars
- Encourage dialogue on challenging topics that are timely and international by nature
- Generate interest among faculty, students, and staff for projects and education abroad
Flex Credit Available for College of the Canyons Faculty and Staff
Moderators will be tracking extra credit for students!
Keynote Address by Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van Hook
Date: Monday, November 15, 2021 ON-SITE LOCATION: Mentry Hall 343
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Read about the event here!
*All times listed are in Pacific Standard Time*
Mon Nov 15, 2021 |
Tue Nov 16, 2021 |
Wed Nov 17, 2021 |
Thu Nov 18, 2021 |
Fri Nov 19, 2021 |
11:00AM - 12:30PM PST International Forum on Youth Keynote Address by Chancellor Dr. Dianne G. Van HookSPEAKER(S):
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11:00AM - 12:30PM PST Admin Perspectives on Intercultural Policies & ProgramsSPEAKER(S):
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11:00AM - 12:30PM PST Transitioning Towards Global Equity in the Residential Built EnvironmentSPEAKER(S):
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11:00AM - 12:30PM PST 3 Super Powers: Networking for Young PeopleSPEAKER(S):
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2:00PM - 3:30PM PST LGBTQ+ PanelPANELIST(S):
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2:00PM - 3:30PM PST Study Abroad PanelPANELIST(S):
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2:00PM - 3:30PM PST Workforce PanelPANELIST(S):
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2:00PM - 3:30PM PST Student PanelPANELIST(S):
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1:00PM - 2:30PM PST Town Hall MeetingComprehensive Internationalization at COC MODERATOR(S):
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5:00PM - 6:30PM PST Migrant Kitchen Viewing & Discussion
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5:00PM - 6:30PM PST Mentoring Learners Beyond the Formal
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5:00PM - 6:30PM PST The Future of Higher Education
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5:00PM - 6:30PM PST Speaker Panel: Actionable Projects & Ideas For/From Youth
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Speakers, Panelists, and Moderators

In her 33 years as CEO of the SCCCD, there's no doubt that Dr. Van Hook has earned her reputation as an inspirational and visionary leader, an exceptional innovator and a perennial optimist who never wavers from her core belief: If you can dream it, you can achieve it! When she dreams, she dreams B-I-G, and inspires those around her to do the same.
Dr. Van Hook is a builder at heart and has dedicated her career to building people, programs, pathways, plans, partnerships and possibilities. It is her keen sense of vision, strong commitment to the community she serves, and passion for supporting the development of possibilities that drives her to pursue the very things that many colleagues call "impossible." But it is her unique ability to share her vision and inspire others, while building bridges and partnerships along the way, that turns those impossibilities into possibilities.
She is passionate and ever-committed to the development of people and has dedicated her career into helping others achieve their highest potential. It is her intense natural drive that helps to inspire others while building and maintaining solid relationships on and off campus. Together, with her team mates, they create endless opportunities for students!
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Claudia Acosta was born in Nicaragua where she resided until the age of 14. She holds a doctorate degree from the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University. Her dissertation focuses on the Role of International Education in California Community Colleges. Her academic background includes a master's degree in Hispanic Literatures from the University of California, Riverside and a bachelor's degree from California State University, San Marcos in Liberal Arts and Broadcast Journalism and her undergraduate work is in Humanities. She has participated in the programs of the Council for Latin American and Peninsular Studies of the International Area Studies Program at Yale University completing post-graduate courses in European Studies, Latin American literature, Films, and Second Language Acquisition. Dr. Acosta is a tenured professor and chair of the Department of Modern Languages & Cultures at College of the Canyons (COC) since 1998. She has extensive experience teaching and developing programs abroad. At COC, she is Co-Chair of the College Planning Team and Education Travel Advisory Committee. She is currently the president of the Santa Clarita Sister Cities and Santa Clarita Valley International Program (SCVIP) where she has been a member of the executive advisory board since 2003. Through this program she leads the global collaborative project (literacy and humanitarian efforts) developing partnerships at the local and international level.

Magda is a 17-year-old high school student, social entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and event organizer at the beginning of her entrepreneurial career. A few months ago, she founded Open Coffee Youth, a global organization that hosts networking events for students around the world. Since the beginning of October 2020, they have conducted meetings for more than 500 young people from all over the world, opening local branches in more than 10 cities in Poland, as well as in the United States, Canada, India, Hong Kong, South Korea, and soon in Tunisia, Indonesia, UAE, Kenya and the Netherlands. In addition, she has had the opportunity to be a speaker at events and conferences related to education and entrepreneurship.
For over a year she has been doing an internship and gaining experience under the guidance of Richard Lucas, a well-known Polish-British businessman and entrepreneur. Magda also works with startups, being a member of the #OMGKRK Supporting Foundation team. For the last year she was also involved in communities such as TeenCrunch, and Our Future Foundation, among others.
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Prakash Chandra Giri is the Principal at Goodwill Activity School and a lecturer in English at Gupteshwor Mahadev Multiple Campus, both in Pokhara, Nepal. He is also a research scholar at Nepal Open University, Kathmandu, Nepal. Prakash won a British Council award in 2017 for bringing an international dimension in the local curriculum. He was involved as an English Access Micro-Scholarship instructor for about four years in Nepal. He is a TESOL-certified English Teacher and a life member of the Nepal English Language Teachers' Association, Prakash has completed online training in professional development for teacher trainers (validated by Arizona State University, USA) and in teaching local language literacy and second-language teacher training (Literacy International, Tulsa, USA.) Prakash has presented papers at various regional, national and international conferences and is particularly interested in exploring applications of open-source software and online tools.


Jeffrey Forrest serves as Director of Older Youth Initiatives with the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. The goal of the Older Youth Initiatives Program is to work with agencies and stakeholders to create and deliver educational and career opportunities to Foster and Opportunity Youth in North America and Africa.
Prior to this role, Jeffrey was the Vice-President of economic Development for College of the Canyons. During his tenure he created partnerships with hundreds of companies, community-based organizations, government entities throughout Southern California to advance the efforts of the community college in providing workforce development solutions that lead to economic growth and prosperity for the region.
In August 2017, Jeffrey co-founded the Strong Workforce Apprenticeship Group (SWAG). SWAG partners with employers to fill their critical needs through apprenticeship. More than 80% of its current apprentices are minorities, women or Veterans. Because of its success, in March 2018, Jeffrey was invited to testify on Capitol Hill on the benefits of apprenticeship to small business.
Jeffrey believes that providing access to a quality education is critical to creating strong communities, and key to the long-term growth of the nation's economy. He has a Bachelor's degree in finance from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and an MBA from Lindenwood University. Jeffrey also possesses a Masters of Divinity degree (MDiv.) from Louisiana Baptist Theological Seminary.

Nova Mandel (they/them, she/her) is currently in her third semester at College of the Canyons and is majoring in Global Studies. She is currently a college assistant for International Services & Programs at College of the Canyons, assisting with web design, research, data management, events, and their Intensive English Language Program (IELP).
She is a member of Sigma Delta Mu, which recognizes excellence in Spanish among the student population of higher education, as well as Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the international honor society of students studying at two-year colleges. Nova has also been volunteering for nine years at A Noise Within, a classical theatre in Pasadena, CA.
Nova's studies at COC focus on the social sciences and humanities, with a particular interest in how we can help make the world better for all people. She recently wrote a research paper on how communities can best support families to keep children out of foster care and is currently working on an article about how the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles contributes to educating people on the history of the holocaust and how all issues of discrimination and prejudice are interrelated.






He is the former Dean of the School of Business at College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita Community College District, where he also served as department chair for the Business Department, the Real Estate Department, and lead faculty for International Business/Business Law.
Dean Waldon previously served as an international trade consultant with the Center for International Trade Development/California-Mexico Trade Assistance Center for Citrus College in Glendora, CA. He was also a Coordinator for Pacific Rim Operations at Learning Tree International, Inc., and then Director for Government Relations with IEC, Inc., an international manufacturing company headquartered in Los Angeles. He practiced law primarily in the areas of contracts and civil rights and was a Bureau Chief for Civil Rights for the Florida Department of Transportation.
He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration (International Finance and Marketing) from the University of Miami (Florida). He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School where he participated in the Concannon Programme of International Law in London, England.

Michelle is an active member of her community. She sits on the board of Hope Street Family Center where she has launched a cooking class series for low-income families. She's been a long-standing member and contributor for chefs collaborative and Women's Chefs and Restaurateurs.