Students enrolled in Cate School’s Advanced Placement Comparative Government and Politics course will go online via Skype for a conference on Tuesday with staff at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, D.C.

The purpose of this technology-enabled discussion between Cate students and USIP specialists is to further the students’ understanding of the electoral process in Nigeria and the role of ethnic and religious conflict in governing. Nigeria is one of the six countries studied in the College Board AP curriculum.

Cate teacher Jim Masker described the online conference as “an outstanding opportunity for Cate students to apply what they have learned about Nigeria by interacting directly with people who are working to enhance the democratic process in Nigeria. There is no better way for students to learn about a subject than to go beyond the textbook and to talk with people who are making a difference in the world.”

This is the second year Cate has participated in a Skype-enabled conference with the USIP.

— Don Orth is the communications director for Cate School.