TAMIU Service-Learning Students Schedule Human Rights Festival Wednesday
Texas A&M International University Service-Learning students are working to bring awareness to Human rights and social responsibility during an upcoming day of learning and fun for the entire family.
A Human Rights Festival is happening Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. The event will take place at both the Joe A. Guerra Laredo Public Library, 1120 Calton Road and the Sophie Christen McKendrick, Francisco Ochoa, and Fernando A. Salinas Branch Library, 1920 Palo Blanco St. in south Laredo at the same time.
Admission to both events is free and open to the community.
TAMIU Service-Learning (SL) students will offer creative games and interactive activities centered on Human rights. This includes literacy foldable and small projects, read-alouds, coloring activities, critical-thinking questions, and short writing assignments.
The activities also tie into this year’s Freshman student Common Read, “Never Stop Walking: A Memoir of Finding Home Across the World” by Christina Rickardsson.
Throughout the semester, University SL students have worked alongside children from the Sacred Heart Children’s Home to organize the festival, explained University College assistant professional, Dr. Hayley Kazen.
“We wanted an SL project related to the common read. We thought about Sacred Heart because the author of our Common Read spent a period of her childhood in an orphanage. Sister Isidra of Sacred Heart suggested a literacy project, so to connect it back to our book, we decided to focus on human rights.”
This is the second year an activity fair celebrates Human Rights Day, noted Cihtlalli Pérez, University College outreach coordinator.
“By hosting a fair with TAMIU students, it becomes a learning activity not only for our students but for anyone who attends the fair,” she observed.
University SL students ultimately benefit from the event that helps build their marketable skills, explained Kazen.
“This project will allow students to learn skills, such as communication, teamwork and social responsibility. They will also learn more about time management since they will have to do work outside of class time.”
Adopted by the United Nations General Assembly, Human Rights Day is observed every year on Dec. 10 and celebrates the milestone document, the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” The Declaration is a milestone document proclaiming the inalienable rights of human beings. This is the 70th anniversary of the Declaration. It is the most translated document in the world and currently available in more than 500 languages.
For additional information, call University College at 956.326.2134, email university.college@tamiu.edu or visit https://www.tamiu.edu/uc/.
Throughout 2019-2020, TAMIU is celebrating its 50th anniversary and its 25th anniversary at its north Laredo campus. A dedicated website shares the University’s transformation from a hybrid upper-level university to a full doctoral degree-granting University. It traces the University’s history, shares its impact in personal stories, and includes a calendar of Anniversary events and more at tamiu.edu/50.
For additional information, contact the TAMIU Office of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services at 956.326.2180, email prmis@tamiu.edu, click on tamiu.edu or visit offices in the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, room 268.
