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Dearborn, Feb. 28, 2013:
Henry Ford Community College (HFCC)
Business and Economics Instructor Jared Boyd received an
HFCC Presidential Mini-Grant of $2,500 from the College in late
2012 to fund “Learning Through Giving,” a project that helps
students learn about the importance of supporting global
charitable organizations that assist people in need.
In recent weeks Boyd has extended this program to make a greater
impact on both his students and charitable organizations.
“Learning Through Giving” required students in Boyd’s BEC 151:
Macroeconomics class to act as a charity board responsible for
deciding how to allocate a donation of $2,500. Students
researched international statistics to find nations with a gross
domestic product (GDP) per capita of $2,500 or less. They
researched the institutions, cultures and local issues in the
impoverished nations, evaluated the nations based on the
developed criteria, and decided on a justifiable nation to
direct the funds.
In the end, students selected the nation of Niger, in
northwest Africa, and the $2,500 funded two non-profit
organizations doing great work in the region. The first
organization, Eliminate Poverty Now (http://eliminatepovertynow.org/),
received $2,000. They invest in poverty reducing projects in
various African nations. In Niger they are trying to spread dry
land farming technology via a program called Farmers of the
Future. The modern farming techniques that are taught improve
food production, reduce food insecurity, and increase household
incomes.
The second non-profit organization is ABC Schools Niger (http://www.abcschools.org/),
which received the remaining $500. ABC Schools Niger focuses on
increasing access to primary school, improving literacy rates,
and convincing families of the value in education, especially
for young girls in the community.
“Students, especially business students, will graduate into a
global economy and must be knowledgeable of foreign economies
including possible emerging economies. ‘Learning Through Giving’
exposes students to a wide range of national economies,
cultures, and issues and focuses on the poor but rising
nations,” said Boyd, who has taught at HFCC for about eight
years.
The “Learning Through Giving” program continues during the
current winter semester. This time around, a social media
dimension is now available that allows students to post
information to share with family, friends and colleagues. This
helps increase awareness on the importance of supporting
charitable organizations that help people in need throughout the
world.
You can follow Boyd’s students at
https://www.facebook.com/LearnShareGive
and
https://twitter.com/learnsharegive.
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