2015 AASSA Global Citizen Award Recipients Paul Poore AASSA Executive Director
The AASSA Global Citizen Award sponsored by TieCare International recognizes a student or group of students selected from AASSA Member Schools in good standing that has made exemplary contributions through a school and/or community-based service program which has led either to: greater international understanding, positive local or global change, addressing a global challenge, or changed lives—thereby setting an example for us all.
This year’s recipients’ schools will each receive an equal share of the $4,000 which is to be used to assist the project or charity for which the award was given. We received the strongest pool and greatest number of applicants to date, and the decision of the AASSA Board of Trustees committee was to award all of the applications for their exceptional projects and work.
The award recipients in alphabetical order are:
Centradas, Academia Cotopaxi, Ecuador: Lucas Calero was recognized for his work (which began as a GIN Project) that was carried out at a local public school in Quito. Because of the high poverty level of the students, teenage pregancy is a reality affecting 23 out of the school’s 300 girls. Lucas developed a curriculum aimed at curbing teenage pregancy among the teenage girls and successfully taught the program to 25 girls. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5t3p5XZgCo AND https://prezi.com/emlgrdsfe92x/gin-presentation AND http://slide.ly/gallery/view/e5a6bebae54b020c259c760ec98daaaa
CLima Core Planning Team, Colegio Roosevelt, Peru: Twelve students, listed below, were recognized for their role in organizing the first-ever student leadership climate change conference for the region—a conference incorporating elements of GIN, MUN and TEDx style talks (clima14fdr.com)
First NameLast NamePositionJanaAlgaranazBusiness Team LeaderMatiasAndradeTechnology Co-Team LeaderBarbaraAveggioArts Co-Team LeaderDiegoCarriquiryEntertainment Team LeaderJamileDe MedeirosCommunications Team LeaderDanielaDelgadoArts Co-Team LeaderChristopherDrydenWebsite DesignerPamelaPazCarbon Team LeaderClemenciaPinascoGuest Speakers Team LeaderVascoPivaExperience DesignerMariaPlevisaniMedia DirectorCarolinaPuigrefagutCo-Team Leader of HospitalityCarinaSacchiCo-Team Leader of HospitalityPedroSanchezTechnology Co-Team LeaderLolaSanchez-CarrionAmbassador of AmbassadorsDiegoSandovalAmbassador of AmbassadorsGisellaSilvaLogistics Co-Team LeaderValeriaWuLogistics Team Leader
Dar Bolivia, American Education Association, La Paz, Bolivia: Two students (Ignacio Cardozo and Carlos Fabricio Orosco) were recognized for their work with Dar Bolivia, an organization that raises awareness about community needs and encourages students to donate and volunteer their time on behalf of children who are sick or recovering. Carlos Orosco is the founder of the organization. (facebook.com/darbolivia?Ref=BR_TF)
Do Something at Graded, Brazil: Michael Nimtzovitch Borger was recognized for founding and leading Do Something at Graded (dosomething.org), an organization that has as its main goal youth empowerment with a focus on community actgion-based initiatives that have involved entire divisions of the school in its projects. Michael is also an active member of Graded Entrepreneurial Enterprise, a community service group that raises funds to support projects.
Fundación The Columbus School, Colombia: Felipe Monsalve Vélez and Esteban Rey Londoño were recognized for proposing and creating an unprecedented program in Medellin to teach programming to children in need in the hope that this discipline could improve their lives. (http://www.clasepob.org/ AND http://youtu.be/V_UY0v2B_fc)
Galo Plaza Foundation, Colegio Americano, Ecuador: Antonia Alvarez and Paulo Torres were recognized for their work with the foundation whose main goal is to revive the thinking of Ecuador’s ex-president on promoting education, conservation and development. A major part of their work has focused on the development of a library in Zuleta, but they have gone above and beyond by opening up the possibility for children with extremely low economic resources from Zuleta to avail themselves of academic and athletic scholarships at Academia Cotopaxi. (https://www/youtube.com/watch?v=Ohf–2yvGRc)
Keep Culture Alive #KCA, American International School of Kingston, Jamaica: Katia Theresa Chuck is recognized for her passionate work with cultural diversity, recruiting Cultural Ambassadors, and sharing their cultures through an extended web of social media networks. (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpViK_4UO9fUjv4Kwqitvyg AND https://www.facebook.com/keepculturealive)
Lincoln Community Service Salta, Argentina: Four students (Ming Lei, Manuel Lopez Mazzotta, Violeta Bullrich and Jeong Eun Kim) were recognized for their work with the Lincoln Community Service Salta Project. The project’s purpose is to offer food, clothing, medical supplies and other donations to local communities in the área and to allow interaction between Lincoln students and the Salteñan residents for mutual cultural enrichment. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHhEartUIs8&feature=youtu.be)
Misión Internacional Voces de Esperanza, Escuela Internacional Sampedrana, Honduras: Five students (Mario Kafati, Mario Faraj, Natalia Larach, Faris Andonie and Diego Panayotti) were selected for their endless dedication and work with this organization whose purpose is to provide people in need with a worthy life and equal oportunities through improving healthcare, housing and general conditions. (fundactionmivoz.org AND https://www.youtube.com/user/FundacionMiVoz)
Proyecto Biblioteca Luis Cisneros Noriega, Colegio Alberto Einstein, Ecuador: Maria Paula Heredia Flor is recognized for starting a project at a low-income school where she took it upon herself to create a library. She raised funds to install shelves and furniture, got donations of 650 books, and created her own tracking system. The library has been named in her honor. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37M-mpOc_BE)
Service Oriented Students (SOS), Escola Americana Do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Julia de Almeida Guimaraes is recognized for her involvement in SOS, raising the bar through her tireless effort and dedication. SOS focuses on community service projects, attracting over 1,000 people at their major cáncer walk-a-thon project. (youtube.com/watch?v=hIRhGHCmx24 AND www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXWW1E82jzc AND www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyV1UNUkNgE AND https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXWW1E82jzc AND
Snacks for Tots, Carol Morgan School, DR: Gabriela De Los Santos was recognized for founding and running her organization which serves children in Santo Domingo’s slums and those living on the streets by providing health snacks and playtime as well as special visits and gifts during the holidays. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20DrOTU31rs AND http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-3MObcmHFw)
Thank you to TIECARE International for their funding of this program and congratulations to this year’s recipients, their advisers and their schools for the fine work they are doing.