One beneficiary, Samuel Nyigmebo, said the scholarship would ease the financial burden on their families

Lebanon’s Ambassador to Ghana, HE Mr. Maher Kheir said journalism is a powerful tool for social transformation and when properly harnessed will propel Ghana’s development agenda.

According to him, journalism can be used to rally citizens around national goals of equitable growth in all sectors and all regions of the country.

He was speaking at a ceremony where the Lebanese community in Ghana awarded scholarships to twelve bright students from the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ).

The colorful ceremony took place in the presence of the rector, the dean of students, the registrar, a delegation from the Lebanese fraternity and other high-ranking members of the institute.

All students currently studying journalism come from the 200, 300 and 400 levels of the institute.

The awards program, now in its 9th year, is part of the community’s social responsibility project and a means of promoting educational cooperation between Lebanon and Ghana.

Since 2013, he has been supporting schools like GIJ, KNUST and the University of Ghana. At the initiative of the Ambassador, it was extended to students from the School of Languages ​​and the School of Performing Arts.

Ambassador’s remarks

Lebanon’s Ambassador to Ghana, HE Mr. Maher Kheir stressed that investing in education to empower the human resources of any nation is the best investment.

This, he explains, is the motivation for the strong commitment of the Lebanese community to supporting Ghanaian students for nearly a decade now.

He noted that the scholarship program has become recognized for the impact it has had on many individuals and families.

“The Lebanese scholarship program since its inception by the Lebanese community in 2013, has gradually become one of the best scholarship programs in Ghana. It has received awards and recognition from senior government officials, education sector actors and the public,” he said.

HE Mr. Maher Kheir, said the world has become a global village where nations are connected to each other. Thus, journalists should not limit themselves. On the contrary, they should be exposed to different cultures to broaden their scope to help national development.

“As journalists, you are agents of social transformation. We believe that a journalist should have a panoramic vision of the world. So you have a sacred mission in our global village where cultures intersect,” he said.

He added, “We have seen the power of journalism in this era of COVID-19 where it has been essential in reaching the unreachable with information. Journalism challenges stereotypes, shatters myths, stands up for the truth, and empowers people to make a meaningful contribution to society.

He challenged recipients, “consider yourselves emissaries of this prestigious profession and give of your best as we continue to help you shine”.

Rector’s remarks

GIJ Rector, Prof. Kwamena Kwansah-Aidoo, hinted that the devastating effects of covid-19 have caused untold hardship to many families.

He also noted that Lebanon is currently going through severe political and economic distress which has affected its citizens all over the world.

He therefore commended the Community for its commitment to students despite the many challenges Lebanon is facing at a critical moment in its history.

“After receiving this support for many years, it is easy to take it for granted. But these are very difficult times, especially for Lebanon which is also going through a difficult period. For this reason, we refuse to take this gesture for granted,” he noted.

He pledged that the School will continue to support the Community in carrying out such humanitarian gestures as well as maintaining high standards of learning to produce the best communication and media practitioners to drive development.

Student Notes

One beneficiary, Samuel Nyigmebo, said the scholarship would ease the financial burden on their families and exponentially increase academic performance.

He thanked the donors and promised that the recipients will work hard to justify the trust placed in them.

Lebanese representative

A member of the Lebanese community, Mr. Ashkar Naaman pledged his continued support for the program.

He emphasized that they were not going to stop but rather explore possibilities to expand it to help more Ghanaian students.

Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said on Sunday that there was a need to ensure that the benefits of growth and development were equitably distributed among all sections of society, especially the most vulnerable. poor of the poor.

He made the remarks during a ceremony in Delhi to confer the Chetna Awards-2022 to honor the contribution of changemakers in social transformation, according to an official statement posted here.

He congratulated all the recipients for their exemplary commitment and dedication to selfless service. ”It has been an honor and a privilege to congratulate the best and most deserving change makers in India. All these men and women devoted to constructive social work are the true heroes of national development. They form the backbone of our social sector and truly inspire others, especially the younger generation, to participate in the selfless service of society,” he said.

Sinha stressed the need to strengthen the interface between the administration and the volunteer citizen group for effective service delivery and to pay particular attention to social sector priorities such as the environment, women’s empowerment, tribal welfare and care for the elderly and disabled.

“Selfless service holds the key to our future. In our quest for nation building, we must ensure that the benefits of growth are equitably distributed among all sections of society, especially the poorest of the poor,” said Lieutenant Governor .

On the occasion, Sinha presented awards to 32 changemakers for rendering their continuous selfless services to society.

He also published a coffee table book, titled “Chetna Heroes-Spreading Goodness”, and made a special mention of Nazia Hurra, a resident of Bandipora in Jammu and Kashmir who works for the welfare of disabled children and people belonging to the poor and marginal strata of society.

(This story has not been edited by the Devdiscourse team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Merging the departments of Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies and American Ethnic Studies allows students to learn many aspects of addressing social justice issues. In the January 28 edition of K-State Today, the Council of Academic Directors of the Kansas Board of Regents announced that the merger was finalized on January 25, 2022, creating the Department of Social Transformation Studies.

Christie Launius, acting head of the newly created department, said a growing body of research shows Gen Z students are determined to tackle social issues and inequality as part of their career aspirations.

“More and more Gen Z want to have what we call meaningful work, a career where they can make a difference,” Launius said. “So we see this new department as being designed as a place where we can meet the desires of these students.”

According to the Social Transformation Studies department’s webpage, “The department equips students with knowledge and skills that enable them to launch and sustain careers devoted to solving some of the most pressing social problems.”

“Students see so clearly that when you talk about race and racism, you also have to talk about gender, femininity and masculinity and vice versa,” Launius said. “So it makes almost no sense for these departments to be separate.”

Lanius said many professions could have a social justice angle.

“You can go into whatever field you want and also have a social justice angle in your work,” Launius said. “We have a ton of students majoring or majoring in Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies or Ethnic American Studies and then combining that with another major.”

She also said that students could use knowledge from both fields as a strategic move for a future workspace, as a way to demonstrate inclusivity and understanding.

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Senior psychology and GWSS senior Cheyanne Brunner said she would later major in her career as a therapist.

“This department is amazing because it applies to a wide variety of fields. Personally, I go to therapy, but you can go to law, engineering, or nonprofits,” Brunner said. “These are such easy majors to have on top of another major to enhance your other major for a future work environment.”

As a senior, Brunner said she was sad not to experience the department as a student, but was thrilled to see how younger students were benefiting from the merging of the two departments.

Courage Wortman, a junior at GWSS, said he looks forward to joining the new department next semester.

“I’m so excited to have more options for classes that I can take,” Wortman said. “I wanted to take more classes on American ethnicity anyway because I work with marginalized students, so it will help me get a better idea of ​​how to work with them and combat issues.”

Launius said students report liking the sense of community and the connection between GWSS and American Ethnic Studies courses.

“Our classes are ones that offer student-led discussions and provide a welcoming space for everyone,” Launius said. “And as a department, we work very hard to create a space where students can relax and feel safe throughout the day.”

Launius said the combination of departments will hopefully create a larger version of these already comforting and safe communities.

“Both departments are dedicated to justice and creating a better world,” Brunner said. “So as we get more people and we get social transformation studies out there, it will become a bigger community, and then we can make a move towards a better world.”

Kennewick, WA

Distance learning has had a big impact – both mental and academic – on students.

But for Sarah Lindgren, that’s when she really took off.

After the COVID pandemic forced abrupt changes at schools, the Southridge High School sophomore found she was doing better with fewer distractions at home.

Lindgren, a special education student who also took general education classes, had struggled in school before the pandemic.

Like most students, she procrastinated in completing her homework, but quickly found that the new deadlines suited her learning needs well.

“It was the best I’ve ever done,” she told the Tri-City Herald. “A lot of kids had trouble with that, but for me it was the opposite. I was good at just about everything, including storytelling.

She found new ways to study and even made friends as the class returned to in-person.

She worked hard to develop her academic independence and social confidence. And this weekend, she will be among 344 other graduates of Southridge High’s class of 2022.

“I think Sarah finally realized she could learn content despite her health issues and the labels she was given for her learning disabilities,” said Angela Escobar, a special education instructor at Southridge and former Lindgren’s Learning Lab teacher.

“She came in first grade – very, very shy – but wanted to fully participate in high school and get this full experience,” she added.

Difficult transition

When Lindgren entered her freshman year after attending Horse Heaven Hills Middle School, she was “super shy.”

“I would be the kid hiding from everyone, especially at lunch. I didn’t even want to eat lunch because I was so scared, anxious, depressed,” Lindgren said.

Lindgren was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in her senior year and had previously been diagnosed with ADHD. It’s something she struggled with for a long time.

As a result, her mind is always racing and there is a constant feeling of unease. It was hard to make friends in high school.

She avoided lunch for most of her freshman year.

Escobar was one of the first teachers to find out.

She reiterated to Lindgren how important a good meal was and how it would help her succeed in the classroom. With the help of her parents, she began to eat more regularly.

Later in her freshman year, she also made her first friend in high school in history class and continued to make other friends that year. In her senior year, she ended up co-founding Southridge’s Dungeons & Dragons Club after school.

Lindgren says she loves art and has used drawing and coloring to overcome her anxiety.

find success

“She’s really learned to measure her success based on her effort rather than the mark she receives. And then use it as a feedback tool to learn how to improve,” Escobar said.

Experimenting with his study habits also resulted in successes.

Sometimes she will put on 20 minute deadlines with some homework. During her studies, she would call a friend to talk to him about the concepts and questions.

“It’s always been hard for me to learn and to just sit and study – it’s terrible for me,” Lindgren said. “I have to find something interesting or challenging, or something that interests me so I don’t get bored of it.”

It’s hard to sum up one highlight of the past four years, she said, but she enjoyed many of her teachers and classes: ceramics, materials science, learning lab with Escobar, and working as an assistant. at the front office.

Lindgren plans to take the summer off and enter the workforce in the fall.

She doesn’t yet know what career she wants to pursue, but hopes to find work that is both engaging and interesting.

This story was originally published June 10, 2022 1:52 p.m.

In its efforts to help shape holistic development and positively influence collective behaviors among the country’s youth, the Ministry of Equity, Social Justice and Empowerment through its Social Transformation Division, is partnered with a subsidiary agency, the National Conservation Authority (NCA), to host a day of fun and learning for Grade 6 students at Gros Islet Primary School.

The recent activity saw over 40 young people gather at the south end of Pigeon Point Beach to listen to exciting presentations from representatives of the St. Lucia Solid Waste Management Authority, Department of Fisheries, National Trust of Saint Lucia and Prugus, the latter being a commercial entity located in Beauséjour, Gros Islet.

During the morning session, students were encouraged to reduce, reuse and recycle their waste and avoid littering. They also learned how to help stranded turtles return to the sea.

The young Prugus presenter informed students about how the survival of her business and that of many families in the tourist town of Gros Islet depended both directly and indirectly on the ocean, hence the call for students , their friends and family to help keep beaches and the wider environment clean.

For the afternoon session, the students were divided into groups, each of which had to create an object using materials from the seashore or similar synthetic materials. The students expressed their gratitude for the experience and the information learned.

They are committed to doing their part to conserve and preserve the environment and to become advocates for change.

Through the Department of Equity, other primary schools will benefit from similar activities in the new school year.