Youth Empowerment and Education
For over a decade, DCL is passionate about empowering the youth of Lebanon through non-formal and informal education. Our programs hone soft skills that will help the young generations into their future career paths but, most importantly, reinforce a sense of belonging, equality, and respect.
Current Projects
The Life Academy Project
The Life Academy project has been running since 2017. It focuses on teaching high-school students methods that will help them to deal with anxiety and fear, while improving their self-esteem and confidence, and developing a series of soft skills.
"The Leaders of Tomorrow" Program
The program has been running since 2008 and offers a monthly stipend to college students from Northern Lebanon to support their transportation or accommodation costs for their studies in Lebanese universities.
Past Programs
Students’ Leadership Forum
In 2020, DCL secured for the first time the participation of 10 young people from North Lebanon to the International Students’ Leadership Forum, attended by more than 700 students and young professionals from around the world. Due to the pandemic, the event was broadcasted live online from Washington DC, where it is usually held. This year, Congressman Moolenaar and Congressman Suozzi were the main speakers, while other speakers included Jock Cameron, Ben Heinrich, Curt Thompson, and Lethia Owens.
The School of Entrepreneurial Leadership program
In 2020, DCL secured for the first time the participation of two young Lebanese in the School of Entrepreneurial Management Program that focuses on learning from the examples of current and historical leaders.
The Khebz w Meleh Project
DCL joined forces with the Institute for Middle East Studies (IMES) and the Department for the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Lebanon for the implementation of the Khebz w Meleh (Bread and Salt) project which aims at forging bonds of friendship, respect and peace between the Muslim and the Christian communities. Already two groups of young people from each community shared a meal, discussing with an open mind, ultimately understanding that they are more alike than different since love and peace lie at the heart of both creeds.
- Workshop on Using Education as a tool to Prevent Violent Extremism (2019) in partnership with the EU and the British Council. During the workshop, DCL was showcased as a successful example for the use of education as a means of reinforcing peace and avoiding violent conflict in Northern Lebanon.
- Career and Higher Education Orientation workshops offered by college students supported by DCL towards pupils finishing high school. In collaboration with the schools’ Principals, DCL organized these workshops where information about career options and educational avenues were offered to the pupils by peers.
- Training on proper emergency behavior, in collaboration with Relief International.
- Training on Gender-based Violence Assessment response, focusing on women and children and ways to deal with various kinds of violence or abuse.
- Handling disaster: training focused on dealing with earthquakes, fires, and similar challenges.
- Various smaller gatherings, events, or workshops, all focused on the needs of the young people in Northern Lebanon (from 2008 onwards).