The main aim of our group was to connect people by initiating a touching project that would bring a sense of comfort and belonging. We had a clear goal in mind and planned to use real examples of kindness to get past language barriers and build a sense of drive among everyone. Where will we make our goals come true? Putting encouraging messages on hand-drawn, international Post-it notes would add a fabric of positivity to public places at Arizona State University (ASU) that went beyond the campus’s borders.
Everything seems to have less meaning, but it was through dedication. Our group played a role in finding people with various skills to help bring different skills to the project. Languages like Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, French, German, Vietnamese, Greek, and Turkish were picked on purpose to show the variety of cultures on the ASU campus. These languages did more than just help people communicate. They were vital in creating a different type of energy that helped connect the onlookers and students (Boyer et al., 57). The handmade writings and hand-drawings helped create a different kind of emotion, confidence, and a sense of connection. What started as simple pieces of paper became messengers of kindness, able to communicate feelings understood across language and culture boundaries.
A key aspect was developing a strategic plan that made everything a success. The notes were put in different vicinities within the ASU campus in a visible locality. The choice of classes, libraries, and school bathrooms as visible locations was based on the knowledge that these places were hubs of student activity and could significantly affect people’s daily lives. The key aim was to create positive feedback and create an environment where people would feel motivated and comfortable. In any case, our project went beyond the limits of the scholarly world. Our goal was to broaden the reach of our project to include public spaces by taking advantage of the friendly atmosphere of parks. Uplifting words were written in chalk on the sidewalks to show what the project was all about. On the outside, this show of positivity showed that our group was committed to bringing people together and removing barriers that only existed within the university community (Holcombe et al., 349). With the help of public places, we wanted to get our words out to more people and create a sense of shared humanity that goes beyond borders.
The words on the sidewalks were not picked at random; instead, they were carefully chosen to get a reaction from a wide range of interesting people. Everyone knew that public places were places where people from all walks of life could go, so statements had to be clear for everyone. People who got these messages were meant to feel supported and encouraged. This could have been done through a simple but powerful statement like “You are enough” or a cute picture that went with a quote about being strong ((Holcombe et al., 350). After changing, the once-plain, green stretch of the public park turned into an outdoor gallery of inspiration where people could find messages that were directly relevant to them. The hand-drawn posts and chalk on the sidewalks gave us an overview of how it would impact the people.
Work Cited
Boyer, Ernest L., and Lee D. Mitgang. Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice. A Special Report. California Princeton Fulfillment Services; 1445 Lower Ferry Road, Ewing, NJ 08618, 1996. 57
Holcombe, Elizabeth, and Adrianna Kezar. “Ensuring success among first-generation, low-income, and underserved minority students: Developing a unified community of support.” American Behavioral Scientist 64.3 (2020): 349-369.
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