Živilė LAZAUSKIENĖ, ASSIST Country Coordinator, Lithuania
Živilė Monika Lazauskienė is a Country Coordinator for ASSIST (American Secondary Schools for International Students and Teachers) in Lithuania and an alumna of the program as well. After her year abroad as an exchange student in the U.S., Živilė went on to the University of Sheffield in the UK, graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees. An economist by training and an avid life-long learner, Živilė dedicates a significant amount of her time advocating for the value of education to individuals and to society.
PLENARY TALK
Fostering personal values by taking on challenges: ASSIST
ASSIST (American Secondary Schools for International Students and Teachers) is a nonprofit organization that creates life-changing opportunities for outstanding international students by placing them at leading American independent secondary schools for one year. Bringing together future world leaders is a crucial step toward promoting understanding and tolerance spanning a world of cultures, racial designations, and religious beliefs. The scholarships pave the way for students to become more independent; to learn not what to think, but how to think; to focus on opening minds and respecting differences — all while living in a diverse international community. Through the example of ASSIST, the presentation will cover study abroad at the secondary level as a means to achieve personal growth as well as its wider benefits to scholars, their communities, and society.