Harvard Youth Lead to Change (HYLC) is a conference held by Harvard students and alumni who look to discuss and come up with various solutions to problems that students and volunteers observe and identify in their locality. I got an opportunity to attend this conference. In January, I spent a week discussing with peers and mentors issues that hinder development in the region and tried to come up with effective solutions for the same. Through the experience, I was able to improve my critical thinking and communication skills while also contributing to a global society.
Learning Outcome 1:
At this conference, I was able to showcase and implement my self-management and team working skills. As we were divided into groups to come up with a solution to illiteracy, I was able to use the aforementioned skills to come up with a unique and effective manner of facing the problem. The solution involved increasing the availability of education while making the system seem highly approachable to many people.
Learning Outcome 2:
One of the main reasons to attend this conference was to improve upon critical thinking and communication skills. To overcome this, we conducted various workshops to help in these areas. Not only this, but we were also able to naturally improve upon these skills by just usually communicating during and post the conference sessions.
Learning Outcome 3:
When we had done the planning of a project for a social cause, we didn’t stop there. To initiate the plan, we had to take various steps in our communities to implement the plan. We took a survey leading a sanitary drive which lead to the implementation of one of the many plans. In the planning process, we took into account the intensity of the cause, the effectiveness, the practicality, and the finance involved to make a solid and implementable plan.
Learning Outcome 4:
It was important to showcase perseverance and commitment to the tasks that were assigned. The reason for the same was the fact that as a group, we could only implement our decisions. It was important to commit to the whole process for the plan to be successfully executed. It was also important to persevere through the entire process as it would produce the expected outcome.
Learning Outcome 5:
When working on such projects of social cause, it is important to remember that the only way we can bring about effective solutions, we are required to work collaboratively to gain more perspectives and introduce a possible implementable solution. Even though there were a few disagreements, we could come to a common consensus at the end of the day.
Learning Outcome 6:
Through this experience, I was also able to better understand the severity of the challenges individuals face and the importance of solving these problems. Through the conference, I was able to understand how various problems like hunger and poverty are important to solve and how various approaches and actions can help to nullify the intensity of the same.
Learning Outcome 7:
When looking into taking action against a certain problem, we also have to focus on our ethical and moral responsibilities. Taking this into consideration, we took actions and decisions so that we are able to make ethically correct decisions while also them being effective.
