Global Summits

Virtual Global Summit - April 14, 2021

Introduction

As this was my final global summit as a member of the Global Pathways 2021 Cohort, the experience was bitter-sweet. It was unfortunate that it had to be in a virtual setting, but I can say with full confidence that the virtual setting did not take away from the experience in any capacity.

The summit this year focused mainly on how we can promote good health and well being (UN Sustainable Development Goal #3). I went into the experience really excited to talk about this subject because equitable and quality healthcare is something that I am passionate about, and might possibly build a career out of. After reading the itinerary for the day, I was excited for the yoga and henna experiences, as well as the gardening activity. It was really nice to see my fellow global pathways peers in one group for the first time in a while. Needless to say, I was in high spirits going into the summit. 

First I met with my assigned team. We decided to name ourselves the "Go Greener's". We chose this name because it symbolizes not only physical health, but a healthy environment as well which was very applicable to the topics of the summit. After brief introduction, it was time for our first workshop: Mediation!

Workshop #1: Meditation

For the first workshop, my team and I attended the mediation session titled: "Scientifically validated practices to improve health: meditation and a few other practices" with Mr. McCarthy. We wanted to answer the question of "how can we be happier and healthier?" We began with a relaxing and centering 10-minute guided meditation which incorporated components of smile-guided meditation. After the exercise, we learned that mediation actually grows the left prefrontal cortex and permanently rewires the brain to reduce stress, improve the immune system, and increase happiness. We were also asked to write down three things that we did in the last week that made us happy, because it has been proven that expressing gratitude is a great way to reduce stress levels and also live more mindfully. We also did this activity because it forces our brains to scan the memory for a positive memory which, in turn, makes us happier, less depressed, and more optimistic. My biggest takeaways from this workshop were: meditation can have a profound effect on happiness, we should try to commit conscience acts of kindness, knowing your strengths can help immeasurably with your confidence and overall happiness, and that improving upon the depth of our relationships can help us feel surrounded with a more positive energy, translating to a happier and stress-free lifestyle. 

Keynote Speaker Reflection

The keynote speaker presenting at this summit was Dr. Brian Labadie, an internal medicine physician at the University of  Chicago who has been one of the medical professionals treating patients at the frontlines throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. His speech was titled: "The COVID-19 Pandemic: Generational tragedy and hope". He made many interesting points about the "perilous balance of virulence and infectivity" that is the coronavirus, as well as the communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the virus, namely poor communities and communities of color. He explained that these disparities, specifically those for black and African Americans, are known to exist due to generally lower incomes, more comorbidities, a larger percentage being essential workers, and overcrowding in areas with minimal affordable housing. This evolved into the conversation surrounding vaccines and the vaccine hesitancy spurring from these communities who have been habitually wronged by the medical field and healthcare for generations. His perspective on these issues of access to care amidst the pandemic was fascinating to hear. It was also amazing to hear him talk about the science behind the virus and the development of the vaccine. He ended the presentation with some information about initiatives that seek to make the vaccine more accessible to the most vulnerable or underrepresented populations. Truly wonderful experience!

Workshop #2: Henna Activity

For the next workshop activity, my team and I joined the henna workshop led by Ms. Gupte and Ms. Song. At this workshop, we were given a brief history of the use of henna design in different cultures around the world and how its use has developed over the years. We learned that henna is a delicate seed/herb that bleeds an orange dye and that this dye has been used for centuries to decorate people before they had any other means to do so. Henna is used mostly for weddings and special celebrations, but has also evolved to be a form of artistic expression. After an extensive explanation from Ms. Gupte about the different techniques and henna specific designs, we got to make our own individual design. It was a really fun and relaxing way to interact with a new cultural form of artistic expression! 

Workshop #3: Gardening

For the final activity, my team and I decided to participate in the gardening workshop with Ms. Coombs and Ms. D'Alise where we learned how to garden in a small space. Unfortunately, my global bag did not include flower seeds to plant, but I was able to follow along for the microgreens planting process. I have almost zero gardening experience, so this was entirely new to me. It was surprisingly therapeutic and brought with it a satisfying sense of accomplishment and pride. Although my execution was definitely not perfect, it exposed me to a possible new hobby! I came away from the experience with a great new way to live sustainably and reuse more!

Lunch - Showing Appreciation

I did take my lunch outside and enjoyed eating in the sunshine. I also used this time to make a quick flipgrid video thanking my teachers for all their understanding and the empathy they have shown their students during these unprecedented and frustrating times. It was nice way to practice gratitude and also get some much needed vitamin D.

Design Challenge - Future of Access: Health and Access

After lunch, my team and I were tasked with this challenge: Design the future of accessing care services for Boston’s homeless population. We decided to tackle this challenge by prototyping an informational pamphlet that would address the issues of access to the appropriate health and safety resources. We recognized that a lack of access is synonymous with a lack of resources and wanted to address that through this prototype. The resources do cater specifically to the homeless populations in Boston, but also contain other useful health and safety information. Using CANVA, we made each page of the pamphlet to provide a visual element to the presentation. The pamphlet contains contact information for homeless shelters in Boston, as well as that of food shelters, provides various emergency hotlines, and ends with some COVID-19 safety tips. We imagined that these would be distributed in homeless shelters, grocery stores, gas stations, and hospitals to reach as many people in need as possible. 

It was so fun creating this with my team, and equally as interesting to hear the diversity of ideas that address adequate care access among other groups!

2021 Summit Takeaways

1. What did you enjoy?

I loved the henna workshop, it was so interesting and a fun creative/artistic outlet. I was also very inspired by Dr. Labadie's keynote address. It is so promising to hear from young doctors who acknowledge that there are systemic issues that we need to fix in order to make health and medicine something that is accessible to everyone in this country. 

2. What did you learn?

I learned that meditation can permanently change your brain chemistry. I can't wait to implement this into my daily routine!

3. What did you question?

I wonder how we can address, on a larger scale, how the United States can be more equitable from a public health and safety standpoint?

4. What did you think about?

I thought about how amazing it is that researchers and scientists from around the world were able to collaborate and develop a vaccine in only 9 months! That is truly a testament to the power of teamwork.

5. How will you continue to walk your Global Path?

The most effective way I can think to continue to walk my Global Path is through continued education. Of course that includes formal education, but also the practice of listening to the experiences and stories that others have to share. I think that learning the value of listening helps immeasurably in the pursuit to develop one's perspective as well as empathy. There is really no limit to what we can do and learn when we remain open to experiencing something new!