Four students from Bayonne High School, Sincere Fraser Green, Julian Hanna, Bavly Beshai, and Youanna Sofian, are working with Rutgers University to create a searchable database of youth organizations involved in civic activities. The initiative, part of the Youth Civic Engagement Project, is supervised by Dan Ward.
The students’ work is supported by Dr. Eric Davis, a political scientist at Rutgers. He will meet with the students to discuss their progress and guide them through the development process – the goal is to produce a tool that organizes and makes accessible information about civic youth groups.
- Four Bayonne High School students are creating a searchable database of youth civic organizations.
- The project is led by Dan Ward and supported by Rutgers political scientist Dr. Eric Davis.
- The students will study the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and the database may become a website with help from Rutgers Honors College.
Students Study the UN Sustainable Development Goals
As part of the project, the students will also develop an understanding of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations. SDGs form a global framework addressing issues such as education, equality, and sustainability, thus the Youth Civic Engagement Project incorporates them into the learning process, connecting local civic action with international objectives.
Potential Support from Rutgers Honors College for WebDev
There is a possibility that the database will be expanded into a public website for broader visibility. This next phase may involve support from the Rutgers University Honors College. Although the project has not yet become a website, the idea is under consideration as the work progresses.
The Honors College at Rutgers University–New Brunswick is described as a living-learning community that brings together students and faculty from across Rutgers’ liberal arts and professional schools to focus on addressing global challenges. The college was founded in 2015 and is located at 5 Seminary Place, on the College Avenue Campus, overlooking the Raritan River. The location includes historic campus buildings and is near a green space known for Revolution-era skirmishes and university traditions.
Each year, approximately 500 students begin a four-year experience in the Honors College. These students come from the following Rutgers–New Brunswick schools:
- School of Arts and Sciences
- School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
- School of Engineering
- Rutgers Business School
- Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
- Mason Gross School of the Arts
The Honors College Model of Purpose-Driven Learning
The Honors College provides access to research opportunities, collaborative workspaces, and live-in faculty. Students engage with professors through informal activities such as sharing ideas, playing music, or having coffee. They use high-tech seminar rooms, the Innovation Lab, and multiple lounges and study areas. Academic advising and administrative support are located on-site.
A central component of the Honors College curriculum is the Forum, a course that focuses on social impact and collaboration. Students in the college also participate in study abroad, service projects, and fieldwork with internationally recognized faculty.
The college promotes a learning environment based on intellectual curiosity, interdisciplinary collaboration, and compassion. Its mission is to build a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community and to help students prepare for a career with purpose. The philosophy of the college is summed up in the phrase: “doing well by doing good.”
