A profound partnership
Each year, Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business sends students around the globe for study abroad programs. This past December, students participating in Dr. Timothy Palmer’s sustainability study abroad in India had the opportunity to partner with Haworth Inc. and Youth for Parivarthan, a nonprofit nongovernmental organization local to Bangalore.
Palmer, professor of management and director of the Center for Sustainable Business Practices, says, “It’s been my hope to integrate a service experience into the study abroad. This past summer, I had the opportunity to meet with Haworth sales team members in the cities of Chennai and Bangalore, India. They described the community service projects undertaken by Haworth Inc. employees. It struck me as an excellent opportunity to partner with the company that has provided so much to our business school.” From those initial conversations came an introduction to Youth for Parivarthan.
Parivarthan is the Hindi word for “change.” Youth for Parivarthan is comprised of Indian youth who want to make positive changes in their cities. The organization began in 2014 with a mission to form a union between the government and its citizens when it comes to sanitation and general upkeep of public spaces. Over 70 volunteers, including Business Broncos and employees of Haworth Inc., helped to clean and beautify a wall in central Bangalore. They replaced the dirt and muck with a clean layer of red paint, and were able to add an artistic touch with paintings of Haworth’s slogan and chair designs.
Palmer helped to bring this unique experience together for the students as one of the many service-learning opportunities the center helps sponsor. There are many students who partake in these opportunities each year, either abroad, or locally in Kalamazoo. Two students from the India trip were excited to share their perspectives about the experience.
Pooja Mandagere is a Haworth College of Business student in computer information systems. Mandagere was excited to go on this study abroad because India is her native country. “I returned to Bangalore on Dr. Palmer’s sustainability study abroad trip December. While there, we collaborated with Youth for Parivarthan and the Haworth company. It was surprising to see a sanitization effort in Bangalore led by the company that is connected to my education in Kalamazoo! I knew about Youth for Parivarthan prior to my study abroad trip. The word of their valiant effort to clean up the city of Bangalore has reached people far beyond the borders of India. They offer an outlet for all the people who would like to make a change in the city.”
Victor Perez is a senior studying accounting and finance at Western. He has a long history of involvement with various organizations at the University, currently serving as an intern in the Office of Student Engagement. Perez says about his experience, “The Haworth employees and other volunteers with Youth for Parivarthan loved to engage in conversation with all of us from WMU, and it was such a great learning experience to share our life experiences with each other. Overall, this volunteering event was one of the highlights of my time in India, and I am glad that I was able to have fun and enjoy myself with people from Haworth and Youth for Parivarthan.”
The Haworth College of Business is committed to providing graduates with experiences that help them become the next generation of responsible business leaders. Activities such as this promote the value of service learning by encouraging education outside of the classroom. For more information about service learning opportunities close to home, or abroad in India, email Dr. Palmer.