LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative (LHI)

Contact Us

General and Event Inquiries: humani@lagcc.cuny.edu
For teaching and program inquiries, contact Prof. Tuli Chatterji

Upcoming Events

LHI: Celebrating 5 Years of Transformative Impact and Growth

Mission Statement: LHI=Classroom to Community

As the nexus of global and experiential learning, LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative foregrounds pedagogical inquiry, civic engagement, and academic service learning by facilitating a year-long college-wide inquiry of a global issue as addressed by the United Nations. Through partnerships with local and global organizations, students gain access to career opportunities and professional development workshops. Ultimately students are mentored on how to translate their classroom learning to advocate, educate, and support their communities.

About Us: LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative (LHI) aligns with the vision and praxis of the Association for Experiential Education by offering a platform for students to engage in deep learning and accomplish the goal of education; i.e., as John Dewey (1916) notes, education becomes relevant and meaningful to students only when they understand the reasons for learning the academic content.

LHI fosters institutional improvement by opening up multiple avenues for students across the college to become socially responsible global citizens. The LHI pedagogy enhances all core competencies and communication abilities within General Education. In addition, LHI projects attend to and support the diverse experiences of students by providing them with opportunities to learn, design, deliver, and translate their classroom knowledge and experiences through active partnership with peers, faculty, and staff at LaGuardia, as well as with members and administration of partnering organizations.

People, Prosperity, Planet – LaGuardia CARES Fundraising Efforts

Join us in supporting LaGuardia CARES, a vital program that provides food and essentials for LaGuardia students in need. LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative is fundraising and advocating to reach the goal of $1,000 by the end of the Spring 2024 semester.

Your donation, whether it’s $10 for meal vouchers, $25 for personal essentials, or $50 for groceries, makes a significant difference in the lives of our students. Together, let’s ensure that every student has access to the support they need to thrive academically and personally.

Themes

To view LHI pedagogical and research resources click HERE: For further questions email LHI research curator Prof. Elizabeth Jardine at ejardine@lagcc.cuny.edu.

LHI Partners

The United Nations Academic Impact Program
Climate Reality Campus Corps
Water for South Sudan
Make the Road
CUNY Citizenship Now
Amal Alliance
Malala Fund
Digital Girl, Inc

LaGuardia CARES Logo

Food Bank of New York
Food Coop-Western Queens
American Women for International Understanding (AWIU)

Care Logo

LHI Around the World

The United Nations Academic Impact Program recognized LHI’s contributions by inviting LaGuardia to join the 1,400 institutions from 145 countries that make up the United Nations Academic Impact Program membership.

LHI Map around the World

LHI College-Wide Committee

  • Tuli Chatterji (English)–Founder and Coordinator
  • Ellen Quish (First Year Seminar)
  • Elizabeth Jardine (Library)
  • Claudette Davis (Natural Sciences)
  • Sada Jaman (Business and Accounting)
  • Sandra Sze (M.C.E)
  • Dana Trusso (Humanities)
  • Anja Vojvodic (Social Sciences)
  • Rebekah Johnson (ELA)
  • Stefania Dinu (Development) – Co-Chair
  • Rocio Reynoso (ASAP Program)
  • Yacquelin Nava (CCPD/CUNY Service Corps Program)
  • Deema Bayrakdar (Women’s Center)
  • Anabel Rivas (ASAP Program)

News

In Fall 2023, LHI launched its partnership with the global organization American Women for International Understanding (AWIU). Students Easter Sim (International Studies) and Palistha Manandhar (Business Administration), under the mentorship of Dr. Anja Vojvodic (Social Sciences), were recruited by AWIU’s pioneering Passport Program, which offers opportunities for college-age women to partner with international NGOs to provide research and support for the organizations’ missions. The students researched new curriculum ideas for elementary school students in a rural school in Nepal and they interviewed the school’s Director, Prakash Bista, as part of their work. This culminated in the paper “Curriculum Ideas for Elementary School Children in Nepal: Focus on Learning Through Play.” Easter and Palistha presented their research at the AWIU online showcase event on February 4th, 2024.

Congratulations Dr. Vojvodic on your commitment to furthering the global and experiential learning vision of LHI/LaGuardia as well as CUNY.

United Nations Academic Impact ProgramClimate Reality Campus Corps
LaGuardia becomes a member of the United Nations Academic Impact Program on May 20, 2021

In 2021 LaGuardia Humanitarian Initiative launched a LaGuardia Chapter of Climate Reality Campus Corps, an Institutional Initiative of Climate Reality Project, a global organization formed by former Vice President and Nobel Laureate Al Gore to combat climate crisis. The Chapter is run and led by students.

LaGuardia is the first CUNY campus and the first community college in the United States to become a Climate Reality Campus Corps Chapter.
For more information email Kevin Mark at kmark@lagcc.cuny.edu.

Highlights

Glimpses of LHI’s impact

  • 70+ courses were involved; impacted 11+ countries; fundraised $10,000+ to support both local and global communities.
  • LHI’s efforts made LaGuardia the first community college in the United States to become an institutional chapter of Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project to collectively advocate for environmental issues.
  • Two students were sponsored by CARE International to represent LaGuardia and CARE at the Capitol Hill, DC.
  • Several students volunteered and interned at local and global organizations, such as Make the Road, Digital Girl Inc, Amal Alliance.
  • Two students—Bibi-Sakeena Khemraj (Biology) and Kayla Greene (New Media Technology) – were invited for an exclusive Q and A session with Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai.
  • Congratulations to our students Kayla Greene, Natalie Molina, Jennifer Lemos Mauldin, and Alma Rendon for being recognized by Malala Youth Action Campaign.
  • ELA students revised culturally relevant lesson scripts for Rohingya refugee children in the camps in Bangladesh.
  • LHI sponsored the rehabilitation of a water well and 3 educational workshops that benefited 1950+ villagers in the Wau State in South Sudan during COVID-19. The well is named after LaGuardia.

Project Outcomes

Get Involved – Contact Us

For general and event inquiries email us at humani@lagcc.cuny.edu
For teaching and program inquiries email Tuli Chatterji at tchatterji@lagcc.cuny.edu
For library and research support email Elizabeth Jardine at ejardine@lagcc.cuny.edu
For classroom visits and student engagement email Stefania Dinu at sdinu@lagcc.cuny.edu

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