Leaders from around the world gather in Pittsburgh for Strickland Global Summit

Leaders from around the world are gathering at the University of Pittsburgh for the two-day Strickland Global Summit.

There are now 18 workforce training and arts education centers around the world, modeled after Manchester Bidwell Center on Pittsburgh's North Side. Strickland Global was created to carry on Bill Strickland's model to give hope to more people who don't have the resources.

The centers are based on Bill Strickland's belief that environment shapes behavior. Current and future center leaders are meeting at Pitt, including the director of the center in Israel, where people of all religions come together.

"We have Arab and Jewish, Christians, Muslims, Jews, and even Baha'is come to the center," said Niam Obeid, the CEO of the Akko Center for Arts and Technology in Northern Israel. "So we are all together at the same time with the diversity of staff who are also Arab and Jewish. We just bring them together and let it just happen with a safe environment."

Bill Strickland says he founded Strickland Global to help others replicate these centers.  

"The progress is now being institutionalized. I'm observing, not running, because I figured out that I can't build 100 or 1,000 centers, but if we build centers and train people to be leaders, then the math begins to work on your side, and I think ultimately that's where this thing is going to go."

The center in Israel has been open for a decade. There are also centers in Vancouver and Puerto Rico, and the rest are around the U.S.