Senior Sara Michelle Pan Algarra could not contain her joy holding the freshly printed book. Where Is Our Home? is a labor of love for the students in ElevatED Student Interest Group (SIG), whose mission is to help facilitate space for education related dialogues and think of innovative ways to spread education within the community.
Portraying home as being a place where love exists no matter where it may be, this bilingual English and Arabic book will be distributed to some 2500 children in Jordan through non-profit group We Love Reading. Many of the recipients are children who are underprivileged or refugees fleeing war from their home country.
The Benefits of a Liberal Arts Education
Students from different disciplines came together to create, write, illustrate, and design the book, said Pan Algarra. “This book is a great example (of what can come) from a liberal arts education.” And the project does not end here.
The team is already thinking of ways to improve the next edition of the book: Fonts that are dyslexic friendly, braille in both English and Arabic, sign language, and creating an ebook version. Where is Our Home? will also be showcased in the upcoming World Literacy Summit in Oxford.
Pan Algarra is a double major in social research and public policy and theater. She is applying for graduate school to study education policy after graduation this year.
She hopes to eventually open schools with alternative education that includes elements of arts and sports.
The ElevatED SIG welcomes students to join the team to initiate change within the community, and think about potential impact in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, and the region. Learn about SIGs at NYUAD.
