Last summer, I was fortunate enough to engage in the Experimental in International Living program. I attained resources and information for how to engage with my community while simultaneously immersing myself (digitally, that is) in the cultures of peers from around the globe. It was really insightful. I came out of it motivated and inspired to complete a brainstorm for a summer project I wanted to implement in the Bronx and potentially New York City at large; An informative project which aids local underserved and overlooked community members — minorities, destitute parents, and young (Elementary/Middle-School) children.
I, along with my partner Zhexuan Li ’23, hope to have two parts of the program implemented by the end of the summer: The first part is establishing platforms (i.e. local library seminars/pamphlets) for parents to comprehend why emphasizing education in their households is invaluable for their children. Zhexuan and I have already made pamphlets regarding Ranked-Choice Voting for NYC’s Mayoral race and Finance tips for New Yorkers this summer. We will spread them out over the course of the summer in conjunction with community centers we know.
The second part of our program will serve as a platform for ambitious youth around my neighborhood to help volunteer with tutoring 7-13 year old’s on subjects like Math and English and maybe even expose them to the rudimentary levels of ethics and political science. My hope is that these two parts will help mobilize the minds of many inner city youth who have been stifled by systemic racist barriers of the past, one of which being an indifferent and corrosive educational system. I also hope that for many, our program will provide the impetus for directing the communities around them in whatever meaningful ways they see fit.
Thanks!
– Alioune Dia ’22