Naeem Turner-Bandele '13 participates in the Civic Education Project
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
While many students were eager to have a break from winter cold and others were trying to find a place to party, Brebeuf Jesuit sophomore Naeem K. Turner-Bandele '13 spent his spring break in the company of a diverse group of intellectual, motivated high school students who all have a passionate interest in service and a desire to develop their leadership and citizenship skills. The 10 students with whom the Brebeuf sophomore honor student joined forces with were participants of Civic Week.
Civic Week is part of the award-winning leadership and citizenship program based at Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development. The Civic Education Project, CEP, combines traditional education and community service to promote civic responsibility among young people. Naeem and his peers spent their week (March 27-April 2) in San Francisco exploring issues of public health through visits to cutting-edge medical facilities and neighborhoods underserved by health care resources.
Naeem and his contemporaries became acutely aware that our nation faces a growing struggle to attend to our individual and collective health care needs. Naeem and his group learned the specifics about the rising health care costs which burden our economy and about the host of chronic and infectious diseases which threaten our quality of life. Naeem and the participants were made aware of the challenges facing families and communities and worked with the professionals who are tackling health education, disease prevention and issues of equity. The CEP students with whom Naeem accompanied examined contemporary policy debates and learned about ways to address public health issues in our neighborhoods and our nation.
Naeem returned to Indianapolis early Sunday morning, April 3, resolved and committed to be more than just another high-achieving student and school leader. Naeem says his life goal is much larger. He is determined to "change the world” and he believes the change starts with him – by becoming an active, informed and engaged citizen. Naeem’s first objective is to establish a foundation that will work to eradicate societal ills such as illiteracy, poverty, health care disparities and hunger.
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