esigning a new building is a study of cultural anthropology in built form,” Matt Sueoka ‘04 observed after finishing his Senior Honors Thesis in Engineering, for which he designed the plans for a new orphanage in Bangladesh. Sueoka traveled to Bangladesh twice during his senior year to study the site and produce an architectural design for a new facility that would respond to the site’s climate, geographic location, cultural traditions, religious values, psychological needs of children and indigenous building practices. In the process of drafting the blueprints, he developed a permanent connection to the 100 boys and 12 staff members living at the Charfassion orphanage. His dedication to this small island community in southern Bangladesh has grown into a passion which hundreds of Dartmouth students and administrators now share with him.

Sueoka’s thesis is not another academic product destined for the archives of Rauner Library. Since his graduation, Sueoka and a group of excited Dartmouth students have been raising the $300,000 necessary to put his plans into action. Last year, Sueoka founded a non-profit organization, the Hopscotch Network, to raise money among the communities of young alumni in six major American cities. During the 2004-2005 academic year, Dartmouth undergrads raised money for the orphanage through Team Taka, a Tucker-sponsored organization.

This year, the Tucker Foundation has officially adopted the orphanage and created Project Bangladesh, an unprecedented student organization which will not only raise the remaining $240,000 needed to initiate construction, but which will also develop a long-lasting partnership between the Charfassion and Dartmouth communities. During winter term, a massive student fundraising campaign will be staged. Next year, the Tucker Foundation will begin running annual short-term service trips to Bangladesh, using the Cross Cultural Education and Service Program to Nicaragua as a model. Academic collaboration between the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET)—known as the “MIT of Bangladesh”—and Dartmouth College will help create an international classroom as well as facilitate future independent studies and honors theses based in Bangladesh.

Project Bangladesh is one of the most innovative service projects to take place on a college campus. The connection established between Dartmouth College and the Charfassion community will effect real change on a small scale. Sueoka nailed it on the head when he observed “the concrete and brick walls of the new facility will surely provide shelter for the children; however, the orphanage project will create channels to resources from the Dartmouth community and other foundations that can provide future support to this organization.”

This project reflects not only the academic initiative of Dartmouth students and their dedication to global service work, but also the willingness of the Dartmouth institution to endorse out-of-the-classroom learning and philanthropy. Dartmouth gets a bad rap among us liberal arts students who want to think outside the box and change the world in a radical way. Project Bangladesh is an example of how that change can be accomplished from within the system, and of how Dartmouth can be the progressive institution of learning we all want it to be.

To get involved with Project Bangladesh, attend the Interest Meeting at 6:30pm January 9, 2006 in Collis Commonground, contact Tucker intern Natalie Allan ’06, or visit the website www.dartmouth.edu/~tucker/servicetrips/bangladesh.