This virtual gallery represents a selected sample of outstanding student projects completed in the Spring of 2023 as part of Professor Sue J. Goldie’s undergraduate course, Gen Ed 1063: World Health: Challenges and Opportunities.
The course, held as a part of the Harvard College Program in General Education, examines the extraordinary changes in the world that present both risks and opportunities to health—unprecedented interconnections across borders, rapidly shifting global demographics, and changing patterns of diseases and injuries. The course emphasizes interdisciplinary thinking, encourages active student engagement, and utilizes projects—rather than exams—structured to link classroom concepts to contemporary events.
This page was curated by the Global Health Education and Learning Incubator at Harvard University. GHELI inspires and supports innovative learning, teaching, and dialogue about cutting-edge, multidisciplinary global challenges. We foster and evaluate new pedagogical tools and instructional strategies that bridge disciplinary fields, educational spaces, and groups of learners. Through the deliberative design of inclusive learning spaces—to gather, to collaborate, to spark unexpected discussions—the Incubator encourages transformative thinking across disciplines while breaking down conceptual and geographic boundaries.
At the start of the course students were told:
This course has no prerequisites aside from an open mind, curiosity about alternative perspectives, a willingness to self-reflect, and a commitment to be present and engage – with the issues we will discuss, the products you will make, and the learning community we will create. The concepts and issues you will encounter in this class are relevant to the most salient societal challenges you will confront beyond your college years. The skills you will develop – from data literacy and quantitative reasoning to critical thinking and interdisciplinary analysis – will prepare you for problem solving in a globalized context.
For their final assignment, students were asked to systematically analyze a societal health challenge that they were passionate about and to create a “problem-inspired” product intended to influence policy, motivate action, and inspire real-world change. While the analytic component assessed critical thinking skills, the “call to action” component encouraged students to step beyond their comfort zone, think outside the box, and take risks.
Students were given the choice to create an extended policy brief or a multimedia campaign. In a creative and inspiring format, a multimedia campaign should raise awareness and draw attention to public health issues at the community and population level. Students who chose this format were asked to choose a specific target audience to focus the campaign's motivation to change the thinking or behavior of those individuals. Effective campaigns had the traits of being specific (what was the precise problem being addressed), measurable (what was the desired outcome and how could the solution be measured to quantify change), achievable (was it actually feasible for the target audience to change their behavior given the context), and relevant (did student goals align with the audiences' tangible goals).
Student projects represented a breadth of issues across the global health landscape, from mental health in adolescents, climate change in Brazil, asthma in children commuting in the Bronx, HIV in Eritrea, to maternal mortality among black women in the United States. The diversity reflected in their creative choices was remarkable—students created policy analyses, multimedia videos, educational podcasts, campaigns for social change, original artwork, micro websites, illustrated children's books, and even a short story. The eight multimedia campaign student projects in this gallery were selected for their exceptional, inspired qualities, creative thinking, and analytic clarity.
Our Climate, Our Health
by Sarah Cao
I’ve always been very interested in climate change, living as environmentally friendly as possible, and encouraging others to do the same. Earth is our home, something to be protected and treasure, yet we continually do so much damage. I thought this product would be the perfect opportunity to motivate more environmentally friendly behavior by shedding light on the human health impacts of climate change, as I believe a primary reason people do not always act in the most environmentally conscious ways, particularly here in the U.S., is because they do not feel that climate change will negatively affect them personally, and thus do not fully comprehend the urgency of the crisis.
I created a collection of infographics and displayed them via the website https://ourclimate-ourhealth.weebly.com. I feel that infographics are one of the easiest ways to spread information, especially in the age of social media, as one can post an infographic on Facebook, Instagram, etc., and their followers will immediately see everything the infographic intended to communicate. Websites on their own cannot be shared so quickly and directly, as they require people to navigate to links and explore an often-complex network of pages. I also recognized how huge a topic climate change and health is, and audiences might be more curious about or influenced by different aspects of the issue. Covering all the key points in a single infographic could be overwhelming. So I formed a set of guiding questions (i.e., “What is the climate crisis?”, “Why is it happening?”, “Who are the most vulnerable?”) and created many different graphics to answer those questions. While the infographics could stand alone as campaign products, I wanted to give audiences the choice to consider them all together or select what they want to learn more about. I therefore organized them via a website, making the layout as straightforward as possible so users could easily navigate to their primary area(s) of interest. I provide the option to download any graphics to share with others or for use in personal campaigns. The organized website layout allows individuals or organizations to quickly find and choose which types of posters to save for their own use. All infographics raise awareness and inspire action, but some (such as the “What is at stake” infographic) lean more toward campaign use, as they highlight important facts and figures motivating action without much additional text. Others (such as “How climate change negatively impacts health”) are more text-heavy and might be better as educational infographics. The one thing these had in common was a line saying, “visit ourclimate-ourhealth.weebly.com for more information and how you can help,” as a call to action and so viewers would know where to find the rest of the infographics in this collection.
The intended target audience is the broader global community, as part of my message is that anyone can be capable of contributing to the fight against the climate crisis and its negative health impacts. I, in particular, target residents of the U.S., as some infographics focus on how America is responsible for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions, how it has great potential to make change through renewable energy sources, and how it is already facing the health impacts of climate change. I hope to raise awareness of the severity of the human health impacts of climate change and motivate changes in everyday behavior that both increase environmental friendliness and are feasible for anyone; again, because a large portion of my intended message is that anyone can make a difference, I aimed to recommend relatively small changes and actions accessible to everyone.
Eliminate "Asthma Alley"
by Ericka Familia
Artist Statement: From kindergarten through eighth grade, I attended a public school in the New York City neighborhood of the South Bronx. At my school, students frequently experienced asthma symptoms and took breaks from class to visit the nurse’s office to use their inhalers. Although I did not have asthma myself, a large fraction of the students in my class did, and it was simply deemed a normal situation. It was not until I transferred to a private high school—a predominantly white institution where most students hailed from significantly wealthier areas of the city—that I realized the prevalence of asthma among the students at my former school was not typical.
This microsite was inspired by my own experience. It is intended to inform Bronx residents, many of whom have lived in the Bronx for most of their lives, of the disproportionate rates of asthma among children in the borough on both the city-wide and national levels. I also aim to help residents connect the health conditions they witness on a day-to-day basis in their local neighborhoods to concrete decisions made by policymakers on their behalf that harm their communities, such as the construction of the Cross-Bronx Expressway. I want residents to realize that the health outcomes normalized in the Bronx are not simply a product of chance but of tangible structures that fuel environmental racism in NYC. Finally, I hope to empower residents to voice their concerns and priorities to their local government officials, particularly in light of Mayor Eric Adams’ plan to redesign the Cross-Bronx Expressway based on community feedback.
I chose to create a microsite because it would allow me to provide a comprehensive explanation of the health issue, including insightful charts depicting asthma rates, alarming statistics from a variety of different sources, and links to relevant pages to inspire a call to action, such as contact information for NYC council members. Because the majority of the South Bronx population is Hispanic, I created versions of the same webpage in English and Spanish to make the information more accessible to my target population.
Climate Crisis in Brazil
by Katherine Esponda
Artist Statement: I decided to create a video to depict the climate crisis occurring in Brazil because I wanted to show the viewer what climate events affect Brazilians. Additionally, a video can display a sense of urgency for a topic when sound and graphics are combined. With both of these components, I created a shock factor that would make the viewer realize how little time is left to prevent catastrophic disasters from climate change. I shift to a quieter approach when I show informational slides by lowering sound volumes to allow viewers to think and reflect on the information presented. The world is on a clock to address climate change before it is too late. As temperatures rise, weather events become more severe, and new viruses are on the verge of appearing, yet not enough is being done. I gave the example of Brazil since many may not know what is currently happening to Brazilians or about Brazil’s total carbon output. It is also one of the most affected countries in Latin America by climate change. My intended target audience is the general public because I attempt to inform a wide net of people about Brazil’s situation. That is why my video was on the simpler side and did not go into specific detail, or else I would lose people throughout the video. I hope to spread awareness and create urgency in the audience so that the next time they encounter information on climate change, they are more knowledgeable about its global standing.
ጥዕናኻ ምሕላዉ - Protect Your Health
by Milen Negasi
Artist Statement: The artwork I made is titled “ጥዕናኻ ምሕላዉ - Protect Your Health” and is a media tool to reduce HIV/AIDS in young men and women in Eritrea. An oil pastels on canvas, the piece depicts a tifhi basket filled with condoms. A tifhi is a woven basket found in Eritrea used to store expensive jewelry, such as gold or money. Basket weaving is a common art form in Eritrea in which baskets are made with beautiful, colorful, and intricate designs. In my art piece, the tifhi box also maintains a vibrant and detailed pattern to achieve immersion with Eritrea’s culture and to draw attention to the basket. Unusually, I filled my tifhi box with condoms. Similar to how tifhi baskets protect expensive goods, this piece hopes to convey that, similar to jewelry or money, condoms are a valuable contraceptive needed to protect one’s health against HIV/AIDs. Further, while the condoms may be a striking image, the traditional basket and colors hope to bring familiarity and comfort to the piece. I include the title on the artwork in the Tigrinya language, the most commonly spoken language in Eritrea and the Tigray region of Ethiopia. By writing this sentence in Tigrinya, I hope to achieve two goals. One goal is to deeply connect with fellow Eritrean individuals by utilizing Tigrinya, rather than secondary languages taught in school like Amharic and English. My second goal is to ensure the message is blatant and not misinterpreted, as the depiction of condoms in a tifhi can be atypical. Overall, this artwork’s intended audience is young people, especially men as users of condoms, to utilize condoms as the best way to prevent the high rates of HIV/AIDs in Eritrea.
Check on your "Strong" Friends
by Toyosi Egbebi
Artist Statement: For the final project, the problem that I chose to tackle is the mental health crisis in American adolescents and young adults, particularly highlighting the suicide epidemic in the United States. I chose to focus on this issue because it is a major public health challenge in our country and has substantial impacts, especially within my demographic. I have witnessed my peers struggling with their mental health in middle school and continuing now in college, so I am personally familiar with how pervasive it is in young people. My multimedia campaign product is an illustrated poster/flyer accompanied by a microsite (scannable with a QR code). My intended target demographic is adolescents and college students. I envisioned the flyer to be displayed on bulletin boards on college campuses like those found in many Harvard buildings so that more people can interact with the poster and access the microsite. However, the microsite could also stand alone as its own resource to be shared online. John Singer Sargent’s 1925 painting, Atlas and the Hesperides, inspired the poster artwork, which depicts the Greek mythological figure Atlas. In the myth, Atlas was forced to hold up the sky as a punishment from Zeus. In my adaptation, I replaced the “heavens” with the Earth itself, in reference to the idiom “carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders.” As well, I replaced the figure of Atlas with a teenage girl. The subject does not resemble anyone in particular, but I chose to make her a Black teen to match the background of Arlana Miller, as well as subtly reference the intersectionality of race and gender when it comes to mental health in American adolescents and young adults. Observed closely, you can see a tear coming down her face, further emphasizing her anguish. The art features darker, muted colors to match Sargent’s style while conveying a solemn mood. The text on the poster reads, “CHECK ON YOUR ‘STRONG’ FRIENDS - ARLANA MILLER, FOREVER 19.” I took this quote from the suicide note of Arlana Miller, a college freshman who died just over a year ago by suicide. It is a striking message and call to action by someone who endured mental health struggles and unfortunately lost her battle. In addition, “Forever 19” invokes a strong emotional response because it makes it apparent how young Arlana was when she passed away and that she will not get to experience any more years of life. The poster is particularly eye-catching because it is illustration-based, contrasting many text-heavy, minimalist flyers I see on campus. It also enables people to take a quick note of the messaging by stopping to look and scan the QR code to read more. The microsite briefly extends the messages on the poster by providing shocking statistics about the mental health crisis in American adolescents and young adults, featuring real stories, and listing online mental health resources for young people. Overall, both my multimedia products aim to foster candid conversations about mental health in young people today and call attention to a serious issue in our country.
Crystal's Crazy Catastrophe
by Roaa Marei
Artist Statement: Climate change has been a specifically relevant topic over the last decade. Communities are experiencing the impacts of our changing climate with more frequent and dangerous extreme weather events, including wildfires, destructive flooding, and drought, which have caused unprecedented damage to communities across the globe and also threatened public health (American River, 2019). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) panel published a report showing the significance of climate change and how it will reshape life on Earth in the coming decades, even if greenhouse gas emissions are constrained (Earth.org, 2021). Warming that exceeds 1.5 degrees Celsius could produce serious and long-lasting consequences, so now is the best time to act with a focus on younger generations. Introducing climate change into conversation with U.S. children (aged 6-10) informally and educationally could enable them to understand the causes and effects of climate change and consider how to mitigate it.
This is how my children's book, Crystal’s Crazy Catastrophe, came to life. The book is colorful and imaginatively designed to capture children's attention with cute images and easy words that explain and break down the concept of climate change. I chose this medium because I felt like the topic of climate change and global warming can be heavy with important factors and information, and the most effective way to help children understand the concept is through helpful visuals and simple context. Crystal is a polar bear at risk of losing her home and is trying to see what humans can do to help keep her population and others from dying and losing their homes. I chose children as my target audience because they are our future. Children are often influenced by emotions and should start caring early on to act (LoBue and Ogren, 2021). The mitigations I have added in my book are easy and small, and if we stay consistent with our efforts, may help diminish the impact of climate change. Giving Crystal tears and emotions in the drawings is an effective way to get children to emote and sympathize with Crystal at an early age. These emotions will likely stay with the child and may motivate them to act on this topic. The hope is that they can implement small actions like recycling more often, using a bike, or walking instead of using public transport in the hopes of reducing the impact of climate change. This can serve as a starting point for children to implement solutions to reverse climate change and expand on these convictions as they grow.
A New Day in America
by Meera Nair
Artist Statement: I was inspired to write a satirical short story describing a random day in the life of members of a prospective American society in which gun violence was accepted as the norm, sometimes perhaps even glorified, and in which increasing gun ownership or else reducing the number of doors to buildings (as opposed to gun control measures) were pursued as the solutions to curbing mass shootings. My inspiration for this short story comes from Jonathan Swift’s A Modest Proposal, in which Swift critiqued the callousness of the wealthy elite in Irish society during the Irish famine to the conditions of the poor by putting forth a satirical suggestion to reduce the number of poor children by serving them up as food for the wealthy. I believe a short story is an effective medium for inspiring action because writing can help readers more clearly imagine the consequences of gun policies currently proposed by certain right-wing policymakers. Additionally, a short story can be shared with a broad audience through publication in a magazine such as The New Yorker, a similar forum, or online in a blog format. Unlike a long-form fiction piece, a short story can be read rather quickly, which further enhances the power of this medium since members of the general public will be more likely to take the time to read and glean the story's message. The target audience for this short story is members of the American public, but most especially pro-gun, right-wing lawmakers who staunchly support the Second Amendment and gun rights and who have avoided acknowledging the role of exceptional gun ownership in excess American mortality and morbidity due to mass shootings.
Maternal Mortality Among U.S. Black Women: A Dire Public Health Crisis
Extended Policy Brief by Giovan McKnight
The Origin of Gen Ed 1063
Since its inaugural year, upwards of 2,000 students have taken the General Education course developed in 2010, SW24: Global Health Challenges: The Complexities of Evidence-Based Policy. In 2019, we revisited the original curriculum through the lens of the renewed Harvard College Program in General Education, and reimagined the course through the lens of “urgent problems and pressing questions” in order to “explicitly connect the content in the classroom, to the people they will become and their world beyond the university.” After field testing new approaches to structure, pedagogy, and assessment the new curriculum included a modular format that emphasized interdisciplinary thinking, encouraged active student engagement in large and small groups, enhanced assignments that linked classroom concepts to current events, and replaced exams with projects.
Watch the video below to see a glimpse into the development of Gen Ed 1063: World Health: Challenges and Opportunities as Professor Goldie introduces twelve students who were invited to GHELI for the 2019 gallery opening where they reflected on the course and their projects.