CGI U Commitment: Healing Origami
CGI U Commitment-maker: Min-Jeong Cho, University of Texas
Min-Jeong Cho of the University of Texas is committing to teach the therapeutic art of origami to 1,000 hospital and health-facility patients, focusing on children and Alzheimer’s patients. After working in several hospitals, Min-Jeong noticed that patients often are secluded without diverting activities during their treatments. Min-Jeong’s program recognizes that because the hands are great influencers of brain activity, creating three-dimensional art that can be animated by the hands has tremendous medical, educational, and creative value. She notes, “Because of the emphasis on hand coordination, origami is widely used in Korea as an art therapy for children and elderly patients.” Min-Jeong and her team already are working at Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas in Austin, and through her 2009 commitment, she hopes to spread their volunteer activities to the Texas Medical Center in Houston.
PROFILE
In celebration of its fifth year, the 2009 CGI Annual Meeting focused on results. Brad Pitt returned to the event to report on the commitment he made in 2007 to launch his Make It Right Foundation, devoted to building affordable, energy-efficient homes
