March's Sensational Sitter is a local young woman who is making an impact in the realm of foreign policy education. She is helping those in the Greater Cincinnati area become more aware of the world around them and the issues facing our nation today. The approach she is using isn't sitting in a classroom or listening to lectures, but rather utilizing book clubs to engage small groups of people in thought provoking conversations about relevant world issues.
Bianca Hutton has been a long-time babysitter with BabysitEase Cincinnati since its inception. Originally from Finland, Bianca discovered early on that international awareness was something lacking in this area. Her international roots helped spark her interest in foreign policy, and especially in the arena of educating others about it. As a Political Science major at Northern Kentucky University, her passion for this increased and joined the Global Center of Greater Cincinnati, located downtown, which promotes international awareness.
Through the Global Center, Bianca coordinates the Great Decisions program. It is a program set up by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA) that covers eight important foreign policy topics from the previous year. Bianca then helps to set up groups and reach out to people who want to stay up to date on world issues.
Each Great Decisions group is basically a book club that can be formed in a variety of different groups. It is completely up to the group to decide to come together and begin a Great Decisions group. It can be a group from your church, YMCA, colleagues, a Woman's League, parent club, or just friends getting together once a week. You can then meet when and where it is convenient for you and the group members.
The members of the group usually purchase the Great Decisions book published by the FPA ($14) that includes two unbiased articles by experts on each one of the eight topics. The articles prepare you for the weekly discussions. A typical group would assign a group member to serve as moderator to keep the conversation on topic and prepare some additional questions and information to be covered. To get started, you just need a minimum of 5 people to start your own group or you can join an existing group. Visit the Global Center's website on Great Decisions for more information.
There are some exciting topics for 2007 and they include the Middle East, Children, Mexico, Migration, South America, Global Warming, Central Asia and War Crimes. The website also gives a little more detail on these topics.
This program is definitely growing in popularity. In 2006, there were seven groups in Cincinnati. This year, the goal is to have 15 groups. They would like to get a group started in Northern Kentucky, and also involve more high schools and local universities. Professionals are also encouraged to start their own groups at work.
When asked what she finds most fascinating about foreign policy education, Bianca points to "How it impacts our lives, whether we want it to or not. Being more aware of what's going on in the world helps us understand things like fluctuating oil prices as well as arriving at informed choices when it comes to voting."
2008 is a critical vote for our country as we select a new leader. Now is the time to get informed, and with Bianca's help, you too, can find a fun, thought-provoking way to get the education you need.
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