Five Nazareth Students Headed to Boston for the Clinton Global Initiative University
Five Nazareth College students who proposed social innovation projects have been chosen to attend the 10th Annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) 2017 at Northeastern University in Boston this October. CGI U chose the Nazareth proposals in a very competitive process, allowing the students to join more than 1,100 innovative student leaders to make Commitments to Action in CGI U's five focus areas: Education, Environment and Climate Change, Peace and Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health. Through the CGI University Network and other opportunities, over $750,000 in funding will be available to help selected CGI U 2017 students turn their ideas into action.
CGI U accepted four of Nazareth students’ Commitments to Action (project applications), ranging from Woman to Woman, a program to benefit maternal and infant health in Kerala, India; to Smoothiepharm, a commitment to teach people how to create healthy smoothies to improve the health and nutrition knowledge of low-income individuals in Rochester. The Nazareth College CGI U attendees worked with the College's Center for Life’s Work to submit their commitments to action. They’ll travel to Boston to CGI U, hosted by former President Bill Clinton and Chelsea Clinton, further develop the project, then put the plan into action.
Student attendees will attend CGI U plenary sessions, working sessions, and other special events that will enable them to network with their peers, build skills, and identify potential partners. The program will feature dozens of topic experts, university representatives, and celebrities who will join students at CGI U to discuss effective solutions to some of world’s most pressing challenges. During the last day of the meeting, attendees will take part in a Day of Action in the local community.
Nazareth College CGI U Commitments to Action that have been accepted:
Student Name: Shaina Louis '18 (business administration major)
Name of CGI U Commitment to Action: My Foot is Still Too Big for the Glass Slipper
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Leigh, associate professor of management in the School of Management
Focus Area: Poverty Alleviation
Summary of CGI U Commitment to Action: Shaina is returning to CGI U following the success of her 2015 Commitment to Action, My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper. That project connected female artisans in Haiti with employment opportunities. Her new project, My Foot Is Still Too Big For The Glass Slipper, is focused on enhancing the lives of female inmates in prisons in Haiti. This initiative will provide hygiene items for inmates and a summer camp with meals for their children.
Student Name: Aubrey Baldauf '19 (social work major)
Name of CGI U Commitment to Action: Smoothiepharm
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Leanne Charlesworth, professor in social work
Focus Area: Public Health
Summary of CGI U Commitment to Action: Aubrey’s goal is to improve the health and nutrition knowledge of low-income individuals in Rochester. Her commitment is to teach people how to create healthy smoothies, starting a movement among low-income residents in transitional housing towards better health by making nutritious foods appealing and accessible.
Students’ Names: Alexandria Lovejoy '19 (nursing major) and Caitlyn Paris-Woods '19 (nursing major)
Name of CGI U Commitment to Action: Woman to Woman
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mary Dahl Maher, associate professor and chair in nursing, coordinator of nursing global studies and director of the public health program
Focus Area: Public Health
Summary of CGI U Commitment to Action: The goal of Woman to Woman is to provide jobs for women who are seeking financial freedom and to improve maternal and infant health in Kerala, India. The project will collaborate with local agencies in Kerala to create an organization or support an already existing organization to develop and sustain baby boxes — boxes that contain needed supplies to care for newborns in the community.
Student Name: Allysa Gibson '19 (public health major)
Name of CGI U Commitment to Action: Healthy Living in the Inner City
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mary Dahl Maher, associate professor and chair in nursing, coordinator of nursing global studies and director of the public health program
Focus Area: Public Health
Summary of CGI U Commitment to Action: Allysa plans to work with elementary schools in collaboration with her public health peers and advisors to educate children about the importance of proper hygiene techniques. Through her project, Allysa will provide the knowledge, skills, and proper hygiene tools promote good health.
About CGI U
Building on the successful model of the Clinton Global Initiative, which brings together world leaders to take action on global challenges, President Bill Clinton launched the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) in 2007 to engage the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world. CGI U is proof that young people have the power to make a significant impact by confronting some of the world's most urgent challenges. Since 2008, students have made more than 6,250 Commitments to Action, and nearly $3 million in funding has been awarded to these commitment-makers through CGI U.
For More Information
Julie Long | Chief PR Officer | 585-389-2456 or jlong2@naz.edu
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for nearly 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
