In collaboration with the Dean of Students at Tishk International University, the Architectural Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering implemented a social community project, aimed at painting schools, targeting primary schools close to TIU, helping them to redesign their entrance and corridors.

The main goals and objectives include:

  • Raise awareness amongst students on climate change and its harmful effects on the environment and human beings.
  • Share data on change in this region and provide information to people of all ages on how to save resources, such as water, electricity, oil, time, etc.
  • Declare the negative effects of climate change on the next generations. Help people redesign their lifestyles and work towards reducing their effects on the environment.
  • Exchange ideas on how to stop climate change and global warming with possible solutions for our community.

The project was implemented in two phases: The first phase included a visit on February 23rd, followed by the next visit on March 2nd, 2023.

Media committee members distributed flyers and published news on social media accounts like Facebook and the official TIU website, letting the students and the staff members know and be aware of this social project in order to get as many volunteers and helping hands as possible. Media committee members made sure to document each step along the process, where they took videos and photos of the project coming to life.

Preparation committee members bought the items needed for painting, like different colours of paint, brushes and rollers, and the equipment the volunteer students needed to start their work, where most of the students wanted to share their artistic talents and work hand in hand in this social project. The students were given various tasks and missions that were distributed among them according to their preferences and abilities.

Organizing committee members have prepared the paperwork needed to ensure this project’s official process and obtained all the approvals for requests from the Ministry of Education, which also selected the first school for the project, Arina Primary School, according to its location and distance to TIU, as well as its need for redesign and repainting of the interior walls.

The process

The project was implemented over the course of several days; on the first day, the volunteering students went to study the area covered and to see the number of walls and the size of the spaces to determine the tools required for them to fulfil their duties. On the second day, the volunteering students started the process, worked according to their given tasks, and started with the first layer of paint. After the first layer of paint was finished, the students went the following day to illustrate the designs they were going to implement and decided upon the workflow accordingly. Most of the designs were picked by the students, except the entrance wall design, which where designed according to the school’s request. 

The students did their best to see the work come together and be finished to the school’s liking, as they gave all their efforts to present a well done and pleasing job with the painted walls. This project not only brought the students together, but also encouraged them to appreciate their team efforts, unity and dedication towards a specific goal. Students divided the responsibility among themselves to achieve the final result more efficiently. The responsibilities were distributed effectively; some students were responsible for the outlines of the paintings, others in charge of mixing the paint for the required colours, and others were in charge of the painting itself.

By the end of this project, the student’s efforts paid off by seeing how satisfied and happy the primary school students of Arina School were as they were preparing for National Kurdish Clothes Day, which was the day after. They were happy they could take pictures in their school, celebrating this eventful day and occasion.