Global Citizenship Symposium

Global Citizenship Symposium Spring 2026

Mobility, Migration & Movement

What's a symposium you ask?

In ancient Greece, a symposium was a party with music and conversation. Today, a symposium is a formal gathering during which individuals present and exchange ideas regarding a topic - in SMC's case - about global citizenship and the theme of Mobility, Migration & Movement.

For the seventeenth consecutive year, Santa Monica College is proud to present our students' finest work investigating and celebrating the ideas and practices of global citizenship and its annual theme: Mobility, Migration & Movement.

All SMC students are invited to submit their course work from Spring 2025 through Spring 2026 that best exemplifies Global Citizenship and the theme of Mobility, Migration & Movement for campus-wide recognition.

The symposium is an opportunity to be recognized for your outstanding work outside of the classroom and win a scholarship. The top 3 finalists will receive a $1,000 scholarship.

GC Symposium 2025 Program

"From Silence to Strength" by Jenna Tibby

Type: Corsair Article

Class: Journalism

"Fear and Tremble" by Alci Rengifo

Type: Short Film

Class: Film Production

"E-Waste Disposal" by Jesse Sides

Type: Educational Video

Class: Chemistry

"Introductory Speech" by Maliyah Ponce

Type: Speech

Class: Public Speaking

"Ending the Immigration Case Backlog in the United States" by Arturo Muyshondt Gutierrez

Type: Speech

Class: Public Speaking

"Let's Explore the Indigenous Origins of State Names" by Cindil Watkinson

Type: Visual Presentation

Class: Ethnic Studies

Jenna Tibby, Bruce Zhang and Cindil Watkinson, winners of the cash prizes.

What is Global Citizenship?

To be a global citizen, one is knowledgeable of peoples, customs and cultures in regions of the world beyond one's own; understands the interdependence that holds both promise and peril for the future of the global community; and is committed to combining one’s learning with a dedication to foster a livable, sustainable world.

Global Citizenship Committee, 2018

Who Can Apply to Enter this Competition?

Any student enrolled in classes at Santa Monica College during the 2025-2026 academic year is eligible to enter work derived from those classes, or from a project completed in this academic year that was under the direct supervision of an SMC faculty member. In addition, students must have completed or be expected to have completed 6-semester units by the end of spring semester 2026. Students are welcome to submit revised or expanded versions of their course work, but the project must be rooted in something they produced at SMC during the 2025-2026 academic year while under the supervision of a faculty member.
You must be available to present on the day of the Symposium, Thursday, May 7, 2026, to qualify.

Projects that Qualify for Submission

Submitted projects must be related to Global Citizenship physically, literally and/or figuratively.
Any class project that relates to Global Citizenship from Spring semester 2025 through Spring semester 2026.
Any non-class assigned project that relates to Global Citizenship that was completed for the competition while enrolled in the 2025-2026 school year while under the guidance of an SMC instructor.
Projects can be of any type including but not limited to research papers, speeches, films, artwork, dance, theater, essays, computer design, etc.
Questions to consider in developing your project: What does global citizenship look like in your major? How does your project address/relate to the theme: Mobility, Migration & Movement?

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Can group projects be entered?

Does the work have to be a formal "research" project?

No. We invite submissions of any original student work that is connected to global citizenship and derives from an SMC course or under the supervision of a faculty member. This could be a project that investigates a specific global issue, or it could be a celebration or critical reflection on what it means to be a citizen of planet Earth. The presented work can take any number of forms, including written prose or poetry, works of art, live speeches and performances, film, and poster and multimedia presentations.

What is "global citizenship"?

Do most entries relate to the annual Global Citizenship theme?

No. We have chosen an annual theme since 2009-10 in order to provide the college community with a more focused set of issues that might facilitate interdisciplinary discussion better than the abstract idea of global citizenship itself. This year’s theme is Mobility, Migration & Movement and we certainly would welcome entries that relate to the theme and its attention to local and global inequalities. However, it is not required that work entered be related to this year's theme and anything of relevance to some aspect of global citizenship is welcome.

What can I expect after submitting my project?

Once you submit your application and project, you will receive an email confirmation of receipt. After the application process is closed, a panel of faculty judges will review the projects. You will be notified via email if you are a finalist and given instructions about presenting/showcasing your project.

What can I expect at the Global Citizenship Symposium event?

If you are selected as a winner, you must attend the symposium scheduled for Thursday, May 7, 2026 from 2-6 pm (tentative time frame). The main purpose of this event is to provide students with a forum for sharing their work with the larger college community. More than just displaying their paper, film, dance, speech, sculpture, etc., this event invites students to discuss their work, along with ideas and motivations that lie behind it, with an audience of fellow students and professors from a variety of the college's departments and programs. It is a relatively rare opportunity for artists to share their work with non-artists, scientists with non-scientists, and so on, as part of an interdisciplinary conversation about global citizenship.

Global Citizenship Symposium