Student-Engaged Learning Advocated for the Mountain Women at the United Nations

"Our student team was happy to demonstrate at the UN how the SEL model allows us to advocate for mountain communities and the State of Utah as one of the models of economic sustainability,” said Stephan Atkinson, President of UIMF.

UVU group at the United Nations

Four Utah Valley University (UVU) political science students, leaders of the Utah International Mountain Forum (UIMF), a coalition of student clubs at UVU, participated in the side event titled “Advocating for Mountain Women and Girls Education through student-engaged Learning” at the United Nations (UN) headquarters on March 14, 2024. The event was co-sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN and the Permanent Mission of Nepal to the UN during the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68). To demonstrate student-engaged learning (SEL) in action the side event was hosted for the first time as a part of the UVU “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals” course. Stephan Atkinson, UIMF President, and Dastan Abikov, President of the Sustainable Mountain Development Foundation, Kyrgyz Republic, moderated the event.

Participants of the side event included: Mrs. Baatyrova, Minister of Labor, Social Protection and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic; Aida Kasymalieva, Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UN; His Excellency, Lok Bahadur Thapa, Permanent Representative of Nepal to the UN; Mrs. Rosalaura Romeo, Coordinator of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN; Dr. Jay DeSart, Chair, UVU History & Political Science Department; Janessa-Michelle Purcell, UVU Rotaract Club Vice President; Rotaractors from Bishkek and Faculty from Osh Technological University, Kyrgyz Republic and Ritikaa Gupta, leader of the Mountain Youth Hub. Braden Birbara and Noah Farnsworth, UIMF Vice-Presidents provided videography and social media support for the side event.

“Our student team was happy to demonstrate at the UN how the SEL model allows us to advocate for mountain communities and the State of Utah as one of the models of economic sustainability,” said Stephan Atkinson, President of UIMF.

An inclusive student-engaged learning (SEL) model was implemented jointly by the UIMF leaders with their peers from the Kyrgyz Republic. It involves both traditional students and non-traditional learners. Non-traditional students are learners older than 25, who balance education with taking care of their families and jobs. Since 2011, the SEL model has encouraged students from both states to work as a team on implementing real-world problems under the mentorship of faculty members.

speakers at tables at the United Nations

“Our educational initiative was featured during the side event as a recognition of its academic and practical merits by the UN diplomats,” said Dr. Jay DeSart, Chair of the History and Political Science Department. “We will be glad to share it with other academic institutions who would like to provide their students with greater understanding and engagement with the global community.”

The SEL model also was featured during a student’s-only virtual parallel event "Empowering Mountain women economically through an inclusive student-engaged learning model," on March 20th, 2024. The event was moderated by Handen Torsak, UIMF Vice President with contributions from 15 students, enrolled in the UVU “United Nations Sustainable Development Goals” class in addition to their 3 peers from the Kyrgyz Republic and 7 members of the Mountain Youth Hub. Presenters shed light on the challenges faced by women and girls in mountainous regions and explored the role of student-engaged learning in fostering positive change.