Students from five nations come to Panama for LDZ Las Americas

This year, NHI is running 14 different summer programs, but LDZ Las Americas is unique in NHI’s lineup, being the only one hosted outside the United States.

This year’s edition of the tournament — which is based at Cuidad del Saber in Panama City, Panama — brought students from five different countries to participate in the program. NHI’s Julio Cotto — overseeing all the NHI programs this year, noted that the program featured a delegation of students from schools throughout Panama as well as several South American students, hailing from Venezuela and Colombia, and two students from La Romana in the Dominican Republic.

Cotto noted, “Much like the Panama Canal itself does, NHI brought together a vast range of perspectives, accents, cultures, and ideas. In keeping with its namesake the students created community policy projects for the Americas. They were met with the challenge of creating some initiative that they as a delegation could implement regardless of their geography or personal perspectives. The symbol of the Canal as a meeting point an intersection was present in the proceedings. The top elected officials were of three different ethnic backgrounds and three different Panamanian schools, each with their own specialized curriculum. It added a depth to the learning that I think is difficult to match. Students spoke earnestly about the future of their Republics and the hemisphere. They reflected on the histories of the West and debated what they want the Americas to become in their future.”

The three top officers at the event included:

Prime Minister / Primer Ministro
Felipe Felix
Colegio Episcopal de Panama
Panama, Panama

President of the Senate / Presidente del Senado
Leonardo Girlando
Colegio San Agustin
Panama, Panama

Speaker of the House / Presidente de la Camara de Diputados
Caterina Ferrari
Colegio Real de Panama
Panama, Panama