Zinggy Ce Zheng

Amal for Global Citizens is a bilingual alternative school with a mission to provide accessible education to refugee children so they can one day become integrated, competent and ambitious immigrant adults. Located on the outskirts of the Turkish town, tuition is free, and admission is open to both Syrian and Turkish students who arrive on Amal school buses. An alternative, grade-less curriculum with changing class sizes becomes manageable with flexible classroom configurations, enabling efficient allocation of teaching resources, while outdoor canvas shading and solar panels on zig-zag roof optimizes running costs. Amal school offers large social gathering space, as well as Internet, computer and library facilities to the local community for free. Volunteers run and fund the school via websites such as Kick-Starter by training students to effectively use social media. Stringing the entire school together with Super Mario-themed play spaces, Amal honors the sense of humor in perseverance and fortitude.

At McGill University School of Architecture