Launching my Signature Project

By Farjana Shati:

Baked goods and GEM reports for all

 

It was a sunny mid-spring morning on Tuesday, April 24th as I geared up for our first open table event of the semester; my signature project as the 2018 CYA. I was very excited and anxious to meet students and engage in conversations and share ideas on UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda, and issues on global education. As I was sitting in my Arabic class that morning, learning new vocabulary and listening to new sounds and words, my mind was wandering to the ground floor of the Atrium building thinking about the infinite possibilities that could arise during the event in the afternoon. Part of my Signature Project is to interview City Tech students on issues related to the SDGs and gender equality, As I sat through that Arabic class, I kept wondering whether my fellow students will be willing enough to do an interview or agree to be filmed, let alone, share their ideas and thoughts on the global issues I am proposing. The afternoon came quickly and to my pleasant surprise, I was overwhelmed to see many students and professors interested, excited, and very supportive of our initiative. My Open Table event only lasted a short hour, but the response I received from the City Tech community could have been spread out over an entire day!

I was not surprised to hear that most of students were not aware of the UN SDGs or UNESCO’s efforts towards SDG 4: Quality Education. However, the professors I had interacted with were aware about the UN SDGs, which was very encouraging! When I asked students about their views on quality education, it was fascinating to hear their different perspectives. Most of them expressed that quality education should be “affordable”, “easy to excess”, “equitable”, and “inclusive”. Others mentioned that it should be “enjoyable”, “up to date on modern curriculum”, and “sustainable through our life span”. There was no doubt that the group felt that education is beyond a basic human rights. Much of what was shared by my fellow students echoes the global perception on this issue.

My fellow students also contemplated whether our institution was providing quality education and expressed their beliefs on the role that each of us can play in achieving it. One fellow students shared that “we are the future of the nation and we need to start playing roles right now.” Another student shared that the main motivation to get involved is because “youth who form the next generation are the most affected by the consequences if quality education is not attained” – that response resonated profoundly with me! Professor Urmi Gosh-Dastidar from the math department shared that youth are “open minded people” who “bring fresh ideas”. I kept thinking how our active participation in quality education is crucial to bring peace and unity in the world as education is the key for a peaceful world.

Students also reflected on gender equality, a topic that was of concern to many. Interestingly, one student mentioned, “we have not been able to achieve gender equality yet as there is still pay disparity around the world.” Students believed that we need to raise awareness that gender diversity “is an issue” and then educate “students to not label others”, to see the “strengths and uniqueness of each gender”, and to realize “that both genders are needed “to build a sense of community.” Most importantly, students mentioned the need for role models, especially, STEM female role models. One student wished to have more gender diversity in his Computer Science field as female colleagues were a rarity.

I wrapped up our first event feeling fully energized and inspired by all the interactions. Soon enough I had to bury myself with coursework specifically in prep for the Calculus III exam. As I was writing this blog it struck me that within less than a month I will be graduating with my bachelor’s degree and my term as the first CUNY Youth Ambassador will come to an end. I hope I can squeeze in another Open Table event before the summer rolls in and I move on to my next career phase!

 

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