Spring Break
Volunteer group creates University chapter
CAROLYN CRIST
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
What's your number?
It's a question some University students hoping to make a difference in the world may soon be asking.
Students who are members of F.O.O.T.S.T.E.P.S. - Friends on One Team Supporting the Effort to Provide Serenity - are trying to promote worldwide socioeconomic change.
"The problem is, this is the same stuff we've heard before," said Rohit Malhotra, a junior from Emory University who founded F.O.O.T.S.T.E.P.S. "Too many students are unaware of specific examples where they can help, and then they don't know how to get involved."
The group plans to educate students on the eight world developmental issues as defined by the United Nations - poverty, primary education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability and global partnership.
Malhotra and a group of friends, including the University chapter founder Deepum Patel, are creating a traveling exhibition, going to colleges around the country with interactive seminars to raise awareness.
They want students to choose one of the eight UN issues - their "number" - and pursue making a difference.
"This is a very hands-on generation," Malhotra said. "We want to show students the problems and what to do. We want to rebuild an African village and show how $7 bed nets work and how they help to keep out mosquitoes infected with malaria."
When people attend two seminars in a day, they will receive a free ticket to a concert that night.
"We're trying to get artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Dave Matthews and The Fray on board," Malhotra said at a meeting on campus Feb. 6.
The group will start its year-long campaign in Atlanta this September.
The idea began when Malhotra and others wanted to host a dance marathon for charity. After researching
the eight U.N. issues, they decided to aim for a higher goal.
The group met with World Bank officials and had a teleconference with students from around the world about the project.
"I can't believe how quickly the program is growing and what we're learning," Malhotra said.
F.O.O.T.S.T.E.P.S. is both a national and local program. National members work with World Bank and non-government organizations while the local chapter prepares for
the exhibit campaign and adopts a village of its own to sponsor.
An informational meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 in 275 SLC. Other information is available at www.makingfootsteps.org.
It's a question some University students hoping to make a difference in the world may soon be asking.
Students who are members of F.O.O.T.S.T.E.P.S. - Friends on One Team Supporting the Effort to Provide Serenity - are trying to promote worldwide socioeconomic change.
"The problem is, this is the same stuff we've heard before," said Rohit Malhotra, a junior from Emory University who founded F.O.O.T.S.T.E.P.S. "Too many students are unaware of specific examples where they can help, and then they don't know how to get involved."
The group plans to educate students on the eight world developmental issues as defined by the United Nations - poverty, primary education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, environmental sustainability and global partnership.
Malhotra and a group of friends, including the University chapter founder Deepum Patel, are creating a traveling exhibition, going to colleges around the country with interactive seminars to raise awareness.
They want students to choose one of the eight UN issues - their "number" - and pursue making a difference.
"This is a very hands-on generation," Malhotra said. "We want to show students the problems and what to do. We want to rebuild an African village and show how $7 bed nets work and how they help to keep out mosquitoes infected with malaria."
When people attend two seminars in a day, they will receive a free ticket to a concert that night.
"We're trying to get artists like Jay-Z, Kanye West, Dave Matthews and The Fray on board," Malhotra said at a meeting on campus Feb. 6.
The group will start its year-long campaign in Atlanta this September.
The idea began when Malhotra and others wanted to host a dance marathon for charity. After researching
the eight U.N. issues, they decided to aim for a higher goal.
The group met with World Bank officials and had a teleconference with students from around the world about the project.
"I can't believe how quickly the program is growing and what we're learning," Malhotra said.
F.O.O.T.S.T.E.P.S. is both a national and local program. National members work with World Bank and non-government organizations while the local chapter prepares for
the exhibit campaign and adopts a village of its own to sponsor.
An informational meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 in 275 SLC. Other information is available at www.makingfootsteps.org.
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