UNICEF at VCU receives national honor

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Established only two years ago, UNICEF at Virginia Commonwealth University has quickly gained a reputation for service and leadership. The chapter’s rapid rise recently earned it the Campus Initiative Organization of the Year award for 2013 during the annual U.S. Fund for UNICEF’s Campus Initiative Summit.

UNICEF is a global organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children. UNICEF at VCU, chartered in the spring of 2012, began with only four members. Now, between 20 and 40 students turn up for regular meetings, and its email list has 700 interested students. The executive board that formerly consisted of four now has nine students serving in a leadership capacity.

“UNICEF at VCU has always benefited from strong leadership, a primary contributor to its quick success,” said Sahil Aggarwal, chapter president.

Aggarwal and his predecessor both worked on the National Council, a select group of five to seven chapter representatives selected across the country that works for UNICEF’s U.S. Fund in New York City. Serving on the council helped these leaders create vision for the university organization.

“Having two VCU leaders on the National Council has helped put VCU on the map in terms of becoming known in the UNICEF community,” Aggarwal said. “We are being contacted regularly for assistance with other UNICEF chapters.”

UNICEF at VCU has become a model for other organizations because of its many programs and events.

TeachUNICEF is one of UNICEF at VCU’s biggest advocacy programs. Volunteers from the organization create lesson plans on issues such as clean water, sanitation and gender equality to teach at elementary schools in Richmond. The annual Spotlight Banquet, a formal fundraiser for the organization, touts a night of guest speakers, presentations, performances, prizes and a full-course meal. The event is open to the public and has raised thousands of dollars for UNICEF at VCU each year.

The group’s success is due to its members’ ambition and ability to work well with one another.

“We are all very comfortable with each other and share ideas without worrying about what the others will think, and we spend time together as a ‘UNICEF family’ outside of our weekly meetings,” Aggarwal said.  

Looking ahead, UNICEF at VCU hopes to continue growing and spreading its message. The organization wants to expand its teachUNICEF program to more schools and would like to create UNICEF student clubs in local high schools. Collaborations and cross-organizational opportunities on campus are also on the group’s radar.

For now, UNICEF at VCU has developed into a group of students who fully model the idea of service learning. These students and their work will continue to embody their organization’s motto: “Thinking Globally, Acting Locally.”

 
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