At the 2009 CGI U, UM students made a variety of Commitments to Action—proposals to creatively address issues ranging from poverty in Miami Dade to medical needs in Central America, from childhood security and education in Africa to the University’s environmental footprint. Those selected for further development and support are highlighted below. For more information about the 2009 CGI U, visit CGI U.org.
Political Science
Partnering for Peace
“My commitment to action is to support the creation of a peaceful civil society in El Salvador, through my collaboration with AGAPE in Sonsonate, El Salvador. AGAPE divides its services into five areas: extensive social programs, small revenue initiatives, specialized educational programs, mass communications, and environmental protection. By focusing on these areas, AGAPE’s initiatives have tried to reverse the tendency of violence in the community. It is my commitment to assist AGAPE in its efforts by fundraising, volunteering, focusing on bettering specific areas of interest, involving the community both in El Salvador and in the United States, and eventually establishing a student network in the United States that can act as long-term financial support system and volunteer organization.”
English
Building Youngsters’ Abilities
“I will coordinate a three- to six-week vacation Bible school program that incorporates not just summer camp but academics and computer training for 50-75 children ages 4-15 from the low socioeconomic areas of Little Haiti and El Portal in Miami. Current and retired teachers in the subjects of math, reading and comprehension, English, and computer skills, as well as college students majoring in science-related areas, will tutor the children in areas in which they are most vulnerable. In January 2010, I will commit to two years in the Teach for America Program teaching students attending public schools and residing in low income areas in hopes of making a difference in even one person’s life.”
Nursing
Providing Medical Supplies in Mexico
“I commit to sponsoring two community clinics in Tampico, Mexico, and purchasing supplies such as gloves, band aids, alcohol swabs, equipment, etc to last up to one year. I also plan to sponsor a handful of Mexican families living in Tampico (depending on how much money is raised) and purchase basic toiletries, school uniforms for the children of the household, and clothes for the heads of the household.”
International Studies
Helping the Children of Uganda
“My commitment is to first create awareness in the Miami area about the issue of child soldiers in Uganda and to propose a community-based form of action. I commit to doing bimonthly awareness events at the University of Miami and to reach out to other colleges in the area. I plan out to start a chapter of Invisible Children at Coral Gables High School. I will raise $10,000 to partially fund the Initiative for clean water and sanitation at the Awere School in Uganda and will run a book drive to raise 2,500 books for children at the school.”
Philosophy
Addressing Basic Needs in Ancash, Peru
“My Commitment to Action will be to provide a clean water supply and basic medical supplies and training to a rural community in the Ancash region in Peru. My goals include raising $2,000 to donate to the target community in order to buy and install equipment to create a clean water supply, such as low-maintenance water filtration systems and supplies to create water reservoirs. To accomplish that, I will partner with various non-profit organizations, such as the International Committee of the Red Cross. I will also partner with UM’s Butler Center for Service & Leadership, Latin American Studies, and International Studies departments to raise awareness on campus and hold events to raise funds, assess overall interest, and identify students who would be interested in forming a committee to oversee the development and implementation of this project.”
Advertising
Assessing Chronic Disease in West Africa
“My commitment to action is based in West Africa, where I will focus on the research, assessment and treatment of chronic diseases such as hypertension, obesity, and diabetes. In most of Africa, the main focus is on infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS, but there is very little attention paid to the often more prevalent problem of chronic disease. By setting up a basic survey and working in the communities to assess the need for educational and treatment programs, it will be easier to spread awareness of the issue and figure out exactly how to help these communities achieve a better quality of life and both prevent and treat these diseases. Once the need is assessed, self-sustaining programs will be set up that can be run by the individual communities to pass the knowledge of prevention and treatment among each other.”
Exercise Physiology
BOLD: Philanthropy through Service
“The BOLD program is a life-changing opportunity for young students to learn the importance of philanthropy through service, as well as promote leadership development and moral responsibility to create strategies to become a civically engaged citizen. It will develop their personal strengths and make them aware of their own personal style in terms of morals, ideology, and outlook on life, while developing strategies to maximize their individual potential. The students will be provided insight into the educational system—from extracurricular opportunities to access of resources—both locally and nationally, and they will learn how and why inequalities based on race, class, gender, and geography are part of the very fabric of the social structure. The experience will encourage students to appreciate and actualize opportunities presented to them while pushing them to envision and work for a promising future. Students will also travel to another part of the country and take part in volunteering with an issue that affects that city, rebuilding and reconstruction in New Orleans, LA, to HIV/AIDS issues in Washington, D.C.”
Political Science
Reducing UM’s Environmental Footprint
“I am committed to reducing the University of Miami’s carbon emissions by using easily available resources to implement an eco-friendly lifestyle change for the UM community. I plan to work with the Department of Parking and Transportation to add bike racks to the front of Hurry ’Cane shuttles so students would be more inclined to ride a bike to school rather than drive their cars (this action will encourage students to use the shuttles, which run on bio-diesel fuel); increasing recycling by placing a recycling bin in every classroom and major building on campus; expanding the UBike program by setting up kiosks around campus where students could rent UBikes for up to a certain number of hours per day; and offering carpooling discounts by having the Dept. of Parking and Transportation reward students who drive hybrid cars through providing them with a discount on their parking permit. By fostering a sense of community through my project, I think many students will be inclined to genuinely care about reducing our carbon footprint.”
Broadcast Journalism
Improving Quality of Life in the Dominican Republic
“I commit to building a school in the Dominican Republic that will provide an education for children and adults of these third-world communities and serve as a symbol of hope for a community hampered by poverty. It will be a place where parents can send their children for an education that will include learning the English language, writing, arithmetic and life skills that can help the overall members of the community to prosper—such as family care needs, maintaining and fixing a home, starting a business, and health, hygiene, and nutrition skills. Funded and supported by UM in partnership with other leading institutions and other donations, the school would be taught by local members of the community or surrounding areas in conjunction with study-abroad and alternative break opportunities for American students. The project would offer citizens of the Dominican Republic job opportunities as teachers and employees of the school—and research, study-abroad opportunities, and amazing experiences for American college students who are looking to make a difference.”
Neurobiology
“My goal is to create a reciprocal network of different organizations who work together to promote global health. More specifically, I would like to have premedical students join with medical students and a medical doctor to travel to Guatemala. I would like to go to Guatemala and donate time and effort to work in clinics along with hosting a collection of medical supplies and monetary donations for the citizens living in San Lucas Toliman. I would also like to create a partnership with a university in Guatemala and the University of Miami so that each year the University would send several motivated individuals who have collected medical items to Guatemala, while students from a Guatemalan university come to Miami to work on a global initiative of their choice.”
Mechanical Engineering
Shrinking UM’s Environmental Footprint
“Installing infrastructure to utilize solar energy at the University of Miami is the best way to reduce the University’s carbon footprint and to lead the way in a global effort to mitigate climate change. Our goal is to facilitate meaningful change through the installation of solar technologies at the University of Miami. Installation of a solar water heating system at The Herbert Wellness Center would allow an estimated 10 percent reduction in the Center’s natural gas consumption, preventing thousands of pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. Installation of a photovoltaic system on a portion of the Bank United Center’s roof would produce a significant amount of sustainable electricity for years to come. A comprehensive plan will be created in order to begin gathering student body support as well as support from outside the University. Once installed, these systems will also provide additional research opportunities for students and faculty already engaged in solar energy research.”
Biology
Inspiring Young Women to Achieve
“Inspire U: My commitment to action is to present several educational seminars that address challenges faced by young women in social, economic, and educational settings. Involvement in this program could prevent teenage pregnancy, lower high-school drop-out rates, and make the transition to secondary school more attainable to financially challenged and first-generation female students. The program will be run by eight University of Miami female student leaders and four students in charge of fundraising and other logistics. It will seek to encourage the self-advancement and empowerment of at-risk and low-income middle school and high school females in the South Miami area. A series of seminars will be offered by at least four college speakers specialized in their seminar topics, who will receive appropriate training from staff of the UM’s Counseling Center staff and the Butler Center for Leadership. These seminars will focus on etiquette, positive role modeling, balancing finances, applying to college, public speaking, body image and self-respect, job and career opportunities, and women’s health. I would also offer tutoring opportunities, small scholarship donations to our most active members. I hope to provide two $1,000 scholarships or four $500 scholarships.”
Biology
Addressing the Problem of Poverty
“My Miami Poverty Initiative focuses on poverty alleviation in the Miami area. In order to raise awareness about this growing problem, we will host a conference at the University of Miami, open to students from universities and colleges in Miami-Dade County, that is aimed at raising awareness and also inspiring students to take action in the community. I hope to then implement a program at UM in which students will be able to go to local homeless shelters, and to partner with local hospitals and shelters to help chronic homeless individuals, who are often afflicted with some form of mental illness or substance abuse. While most people believe that education is the way out of poverty, I believe that a healthy state is necessary as well.”
Law Students
Justice for Juveniles Resource Center
“Fewer than half of Miami-Dade County’s high school students graduate on time. Many have been in and out of the juvenile justice system; they have dropped out of school or have ‘voluntary’ withdrawn from the school system. Our commitment is to create a student-led program that facilitates the collaboration of the various juvenile justice programs in Miami-Dade County in order to better serve the interests of these youth that have ‘fallen through the cracks.’ HOPE (Helping Others through Pro Bono Efforts), the University of Miami School of Law’s Public Interest Resource Center, has endorsed this commitment and will be our base of operations. By drawing from the undergraduate student base, more than 1,200 law students, the local bench and bar, and connections to other community organizations, our center will function as a hub to help match those with specific skills and interests with the appropriate organization.”