Jacob Cohen – Pomona College

Over the last several years Jacob has been deeply involved in helping young Vietnamese Americans in New Orleans East mount a campaign to challenge the systemic injustices that affect the public schools serving their community. The recipient of Davis and Strauss awards, Jacob used the stipends from those awards to help fund a study of the deplorable conditions gripping the schools, as well as of the policies and attitudes that sustain them. For his Napier project he worked with the local Vietnamese American Young Leaders Association to take a series of actions aimed at generating corrective steps by decision-makers.

 

Follow link to view results of his work in making social changes.

 

 

Takako Mino – Claremont McKenna College

A highlight of Takako’s college years was her participation in multiple facets of debating – teaching the requisite skills, managing and judging debates in middle schools, and competing as a talented intercollegiate debater. For her Napier project, Takako worked in Uganda and Kenya, where she implemented a successful public debating project among hundreds of teachers and students on behalf of the Forum for African Women Educationalists. She also introduced the debate program in Rwanda and Tanzania. Takako believes that the debating experience is an effective tool for teaching African girls and boys to address social injustices as well as for fostering the personal skills necessary for self-growth and productive long-term citizenship.

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Follow link to view results of her work in making social changes.