Proposal

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Mrs. Amy Boutilier

Sport and Medical Sciences Academy

280 Huyshope Ave

Hartford, CT 06106

Dear Mrs. Boutilier,

Education has always been an impacting factor in my life. From a young age I was raised with the mindset that in order to be truly successful you need an education. This, however, was only applicable to those who could actually get an education. In hundreds of countries kids are suffering from receiving little to no education. Knowledge is the gateway to almost everything in life. That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate my capstone to partnering with UNICEF USA to expose children to the educational systems worldwide and have them feel gratitude for the education they’re just handed. I will hold a meeting with 5th through 9th graders at my local mosque on Franklin Avenue in Hartford, CT. This meeting will consist of a powerpoint presentation, some activities, and a discussion about fundraising. The fundraising aspect will be done through bracelets and or t-shirts, eventually all being donated through the UNICEF donating page. The mosque coordinator, Adis Muminovic, will be overseeing the project. With his guidance I will have to make sure my presentation and activities follow the mosque regulations, as well as follows UNICEF’s overall message. 

My research question is: How does the environment of different countries affect the education children receive in them? This is the question I plan to answer throughout my capstone journey. Children all over the world aren’t receiving the same education and even less than necessary to succeed in the world. This is why I plan to hold this event. The event will, hopefully, be in late December and or early January. At this event I will teach the kids about UNICEF as an organization and what happens around the world with education in countries that don’t have it as easy as the U.S. The artifacts I plan to have are pictures, videos, powerpoint, donations, and even lesson plans for that day. 

My mentor is going to be Christin Ward. She is an event planner and coordinator who has had experience with working on children’s events. This is going to be a new experience because I have never really taught children that are older than age 7 about anything other than Islam. It’s going to be interesting to see how I can connect with these kids on something other than just our faith. I also am going to be able to see their reactions to how truly different the education they receive is from the ones in countries like Syria. This journey through capstone is not only going to lead to me teaching children about the importance of education worldwide, but it will be a learning experience for me to see how they react to this. I have always been terrified by the idea of teaching. I worked as an assistant teacher who was always told what to do with a set script. This learning stretch will, hopefully, build up my confidence to take lead in projects similar to this. I hope to take charge of this project and teach something meaningful without a set script. They’re American children who are similar in age to kids in Ethiopia, yet received two completely different educations. It will be interesting to see how I learn and grow as the kids do too.