American-Iraqi Student Public Health Teams
Under the Stevens Initiative, American-Iraqi Public Health Teams Addressing COVID-19 Project, implemented by United Planet, gave high school and university youth from diverse parts of the US and Iraq a unique opportunity to collaborate on meaningful and impactful projects designed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. University students from Boston University studying health science and global health and students of Salahaddin University in Iraq specialized in social work led and mentored American-Iraqi public health teams made up of high school students from each country to develop final projects that would support their communities through an intercultural lens.
The American-Iraqi Public Health Teams Addressing COVID-19 Project is supported by the Stevens Initiative, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, with funding provided by the U.S. Government, and is administered by the Aspen Institute. The Stevens Initiative is also supported by the Bezos Family Foundation and the governments of Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.
Other project-based learning programs: Virtual Exchange Program connects schools from around the world, giving students the opportunity to engage with and participate in collaborative experiential projects on issues affecting their community. Through facilitated, collaborative, and project-based learning, small groups of students from all over the world come together to form what we call a United Planet Circle – a group of 3-5 schools that works together to learn about each other’s cultures and to address global goals or challenges through a local lens.
To know more about the program, reach out to us at chapters@unitedplanet.org!
WATCH: Student Testimonials
A virtual art exhibition, Corona Art Exhibition, that aims to help people around the world cope with the implications of the pandemic in their lives through expressive art therapy. Through their website and social media platforms, the students compile artworks by people of different nationalities from around the globe.
The rise of domestic violence amidst the pandemic is unsettling and the students built a website on the effects, factors, and resources in English and Arabic. The purpose of the website is to help better educate people on how they too can emphasize and support those who are facing domestic violence. Survivors or victims can also navigate through the website to understand better the situation and get help from the resources listed for the US and Iraq.
Global Testimonies Podcast focuses on mental health and physical well-being. The students shared their firsthand, personal experience, and interviewed their peers, family members, and other professionals–to gain additional insights. The aim is to decrease the stigma and raise awareness about the importance of mental health and one’s physical well-being. All videos have at least two different translations. You can find that some videos are in Spanish, English, Kurdish, or Arabic.
The students created a website about the effects of COVID-19 on mental health through research and experiences through a cross-cultural lens. The content is written in both English and Kurdish to promote accessibility.
The students sent out a survey to their family and friends with an aim to find out how COVID-19 has affected their lives in the US and Iraq. They’ve accumulated the data and with additional, crucial information about the pandemic, they have produced an informational video.
The students came to the conclusion that their experiences with COVID-19 have some similarities but also have variations because of culture and geography. They created a website reporting the ‘new’ normal with in-depth research on how the pandemic has affected areas in fashion, sports, religion, and healthcare.
An animated short film produced by the students to raise awareness on how COVID-19 has affected daily lives in areas such as environmental safety, societal issues, education, and food security.
The pandemic has unraveled the many disparities present in society today and the students aim to magnify these issues through a website discussing topics on racial disparities, poverty, and climate change. Delving into what has happened, what’s being done, and possible recommendations to help people. There are four articles and they’re translated into 7 different languages.
Raising & Spreading Awareness
The students designed an attractive informational booklet to raise awareness about COVID-19 among high school and college students. The students have analyzed the healthcare access of the vulnerable population groups amidst the pandemic, highlighting the lack of health equity around the world.
The students created an all-about mask website in English and Arabic, so audiences can find the crucial information they need. They’ve included a mix of videos and posters to talk about types of masks or why they’re effective and a tutorial on how to make masks.
The students produced a stop motion video about masks to discuss the misconceptions about them and what types are available or useful during the pandemic. The target audience for this informational video is their peers, so the message can be delivered swiftly through a “viral”, captivating, and fun video to reach a wider audience.
The students came up with two project formats to raise awareness on how the virus spreads, the importance of wearing masks, who’s most at risk, and how to treat the virus:
- Posters/fliers for those who don’t have access to the Internet, so it can be distributed in malls or dropped in mailboxes.
- Videos for those who might be illiterate. Some in Arabic with English subtitles and vice-versa.
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