Highlights a goal from the United Nations Millennium Development Goals that resonates with me.

1. SHARED GOALS By: Nicole Carbone

2. GOAL: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL
PRIMARY EDUCATION
Why does it resonate with you?
This goal resonates with me because I studied abroad to Cape Town,
South Africa, in which I volunteered in a township where resources
were shortcoming. The non-governmental organization I volunteered
with focused on education from infants to adults so I was able to spend
a lot of time in their schools and learn about the barriers they faced
within their education program. Due to their historical context, these
families face many institutionalized barriers that I was able to examine
first hand. Due to the many barriers, as a community within the
township, they feel that education is the only way to get them out of
their current situations. However, their education beginning with their
primary schools is not setting them up to succeed, as a result of post-
apartheid. Having spent many days with these children, learning about
their lives and goals for their future, this specific goal touched home
with me because of the experience and research I conducted in South
Africa.

3. GOAL: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL
PRIMARY EDUCATION
How can your interest be applied locally?
 In examining how my interest can be applied on a local level, I could
get involved in volunteering with a non-profit that is affiliated with
primary education in the south sound region. By doing so, this would
provide support to the community and children who may have access
to primary education here in the states, but are facing external barriers
that are interrupting their success in their education. By providing as a
support structure or mentor to them within the education system here
locally, that could aide in keeping them on track in school and work
through any issues that would otherwise result in a lack of attendance
or completion of any given grade.

4. GOAL: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL
PRIMARY EDUCATION
Where can you personally make the greatest contribution?
Upon my arrival home from my study abroad experience, I learned that
a lot of people have a lack of understanding or knowledge about
universal issues such as education, poverty, or crime. I found that having
to describe the context I was in while in Cape Town was extremely
difficult to do in such a way that people could not only understand, but
also resonate with. As a result of that, I feel that I can make the greatest
contribution by continuing to share information based off of the
relationships and interactions I built in an effort to advocate for the need
of sufficient primary education universally to promote global
advancement. Additionally, since this is focused on a micro level, I feel
that by me continuing the relationships that I made in South Africa and
by providing what monetary funds I can to the NGO I volunteered with so
they can provide supplemental educational material to the learners is
another way I can actively contribute to the advancement of universal
primary education.

5. GOAL: ACHIEVE UNIVERSAL
PRIMARY EDUCATION
 Is there a feature of social media that can be uniquely applied
to this goal?
Different features of social media can be applied to this goal of
achieving universal primary education as well as quality education. One
way I see social media being successful in this is that it allows for
effective communication among individuals across the world. By being
able to communicate online such as skype, it allows for collaboration
and education to be consumed to further develop under-resourced
areas across the world. Furthermore, I think Facebook is a good form
of social media to create different fundraising campaigns in an effort to
donate money to communities who face barriers with resources within
the education system. Facebook is an effective way of accessing
individuals from all different backgrounds, locations, and life
experiences to bring awareness to populations who do not receive
adequate primary education.