Letter of Intent
Estimated Amount to be requested from the CSF: 
$3,250
Letter of Intent: 

Presence’ Mission:

The mission of our RSO is community building amongst students, around the topics of wellness and balance through the exploration of mindfulness practices. Through individual and group practice of meditation, students will support each other’s practices in being actively aware and focused in the present moment.

The founding of Presence was inspired from our (Ethan and Shelby) time working together at the UW Resilience Lab. We worked with Dr. Anne Browning, Director of the Lab, to analyze incoming data regarding the mental states of incoming freshmen. We discovered that an enormous amount of students struggled with themes of belonging, social connection, and self-esteem. Through discussion, the two of us came to share that we too had personally struggled with these themes as UW students. Furthermore, we came to recognize that both of us had found support during these tough times through our own personal practices of meditation. We shared the experience of using meditation as a tool to better understanding ourselves, as well as exploring how to heal in the face of personal challenges. Presence was born upon the realization that meditation, having been so useful for the two of us, may be useful for other students as well. Having wished that meditation had been more accessible at UW in our time of need, we hope that it now can be accessible for students in their time of need.

Both from personal experience, conversation with other students, and exposure to mental health data at the UW; It has become glaringly obvious how great the need is at our school for students to be able to experience genuine connection and community. We have experienced how meditation inspires groundbreaking inner-clarity and centeredness, and are adamant about building a community that is based upon the same values of transparency and honesty, as well as true-self expression and acceptance. Presence is a place where students can learn from one another's personal experiences and journeys, and inspire personal growth via the support of a student-led, student-run community.

In order to best facilitate our practices as a community of students, the external resources we require are an (1) appropriate meeting venue and (2) access to a meditation app subscription.

Programming:

Social Sustainability

Forming Relationships; Local university district business owners & UW students:

In a neighborhood that is diverse among many sociological lines, this is an excellent opportunity for community building in the University District. Students are accustomed to staying within the parameters of the UW campus, and encouraging students to venture beyond on their way to the Hatha Yoga Center on 47th will assist students in becoming more familiar with their surrounding community. The University of Washington and small business owners will gain the chance to work with and know each other better, building a more cohesive social fabric between University Street and surrounding campus. A small case-study of the kind of relationships that may assist the University District in revealing commonality and oneness amongst the diversity that has demonstrated at times to be isolating amongst individual perceptions.

Meditation as Preventative Medicine:

Silent practices of thinking deeply and contemplating, have shown to induce relaxation and a sense of inner peace. There have been many studies done regarding mindfulness meditation and mental health, suggesting that it has positive effects on anxiety and depression. For many, meditation is a tool used in coping with minimal to severe anxiety. It has been known to help individuals understand and manage intense feelings such as anger, fear, and such that may have negative effects on one's life. Student run contemplative sessions such as these will introduce self-sustaining emotional healing, and support students in juggling their diverse circumstances.

Accessible (metro buses, off campus housing, on campus housing, walkable):

Hatha Yoga Center is a 14 minute walk from Central Campus, making it an accessible commute from class or studies. For those living on campus in dorms, the commute time is a standard 13 minute walk from both eastern Haggett Hall and southern Mercer Court  (9 minute bus ride using tuition included bus lines 45,71,73, also possible for southern dorm residents). For those coming from off-campus, University Street is a hub for a wide range of bus routes making it accessible for those who commute via metro or light rail. For those who drive, there is street parking, however limited, on a first come first serve basis at an hourly fee. Ethan and I also offer to help transport students if need be.

Diversity: Mindfulness, introspection, contemplation, meditation; whatever you want to call it, can be a useful life enhancing practice in anyone's unique life. That being said, we understand that such practices can fit differently into different peoples’ lives. We recognize that every person comes from a different background, has different experiences, circumstances, demographics, identities. Such factors may play a role in affecting who feels welcome, comfortable, and safe around mindfulness practices. We want to make clear that Presence is a place for anyone and everyone, and aims to present a space that is accessible to all individuals. Furthermore, within the subject of meditation; Presence welcomes all practices, preferences, questions, and attitudes.

Co-op styled structure: We believe a community-run, democratic, honest and transparent organization is crucial maintaining an organization that fosters student empowerment, passion, and belonging. We (Ethan and Shelby) see our roles as facilitators, and aim to encourage fellow students to engage in facilitation and leadership roles as they wish. In structuring group meetings that actively engage members in providing feedback, suggestions, expressing their views, and guiding group meetings, we aim to ensure that each student understands that the organization is existant to represent their wishes as they see fit. This is invaluable in the University setting, as we make space for students to participate in a ‘ground up’ organization in contrast to much of the ‘top-down’ philosophy embodied by many of institutions and classes at the UW. Presence hopes that this model will inspire students to take ownership in their introspective journey, and spread their passion to the rest of the group and all others they may encounter. Presence also abides by the seven cooperative principles of: Voluntary and open membership, democratic management, participation, autonomy and independence, education, training and information, cooperation, and community.

Environmental Sustainability

Green space meditation (perusing in parks, around wildlife, green spaces on campus):

Connection with nature facilitates inner peace & stillness. Being in the presence of the great outdoors reminds us that we are connected with nature and the world at large, not separate from it. In engaging contemplative and still practices in the outdoors, students are provided the opportunity to get curious about nature on their own terms, and gain a recognition for its strong presence in their life. Students gain the opportunity to get more in touch with nature, and to further understand the importance of recognizing the role that nature plays in our lives and our ecosystem. Personal connection and positive experience with the outdoors is the first step in fostering a community which engages in the world both on behalf of their own needs and the intertwined needs of our earth. Additionally, engaging in physical activity also serves to connect us on a deeper level with our bodies, which are often forgotten when sitting in class most days.

Physical + Mental Minimalism:

Mindfulness as a philosophy which explores one’s inner state, students may explore the relationship of thoughts and feelings, mind and heart. They may gain insight into the differentiation as well as relationships, between emotions and thoughts, assisting students in decision backed with genuine contemplation and thought. Taking a moment to breathe, relax, and contemplate will assist students in observing their habits and actions, in so allowing students to recognize which behaviors are serving them and which are not in comparison to their values. Students can recognize internal and external values, beliefs, practices, and intentionally select from there how they would like to proceed. Outcomes of these practices, can include themes of consumerism as hugely a part of our western, American culture. Students can have a better understanding on how actions such as shopping, consuming, etc. has an impact both on themselves, their community, and world at large. Exploring topics of sustaining satisfaction versus instant gratification.

Meeting Space Requirements:

Space must provide students with a welcoming and comforting environment which is conducive for personal practices, such as silent sitting meditation. Academic spaces on-campus at the UW can be stress inducing because they are wholly competitive & busy environments.

A space off-campus is necessary for students to effectively shift away from an academic mindset in order to engage in vulnerable and therapeutic mindfulness practices. To quote a study published by the Springer Journal of Public Health, “Personal control, socially supportive relationships, and restoration from stress and fatigue are all affected by properties of the built environment” (Evans, Gary W. “The built environment and mental health”). Keeping this in mind, we fear that attempting to get students to engage in meditation practices in existing on-campus spaces (HUB, IMA, housing facilities) will be ineffective. Students will be unable to escape the mental busyness and happenings of student life (which often are culprits of stress), which will lead to a lack of club retention, community building and general sense of stillness.

The mindfulness class pass had meditation class series once (hosted in HUB), but decided to discontinue them due to a lack of retention. After speaking with the mindfulness program director, Danny Arguetty, we collectively identified the venue as a potential factor in explaining why students’ attendance rates trickled down.

Pros of off-campus space:

  •     a (physical and mental) “vacation” from academic/campus life
  •     accessible, walkable distance from on campus-housing
  •     ”homey” feel, warm carpet, lighting, quiet space, built for purpose of yoga/meditation practices (not a mixed use space, conversely an established foundation built for mindfulness practices)

(2) Meditation App Subscription: Headspace

Shelby and I have both experienced great success using Headspace, a smartphone app which provides guided meditations, anxiety relief, and student specific “packages”: studying, balancing health & work, etc. Our goal is to provide Headspace to our members to prevent a lack of financial accessibility, which in our experience, is the largest barrier to the use of meditation apps. A student subscription costs $9.99 annually, and this relatively low cost would enable us to provide 25 members with this access. The use of this app would also help build community within the club itself, as you can add meditation “buddies” (other users of the app) to see and view each others’ meditations and activity. Members will provide us with a receipt for reimbursement.

Budget:

Presence Budget through Spring Quarter 2019 (1/28-3/15 and 4/1-6/7)

Item Unit Cost Units # of Weeks Total Cost
Meeting Space: Weekly Hourly Rent $35.00 1.5 hours 16 $840
Headspace- Meditation Subscription $10 25 people Subscription covers a full year $250
Total Cost       $1090

We are asking the Campus Sustainability Fund for $1000 to cover our expenses.

After evaluating several off-campus options, we settled on Hatha Yoga Center on the Ave & 47th. We have developed a great relationship with the owner, Ki, and her studio is able to provide all the necessary fixtures for a meditation practice (soft carpet, cushions, blankets, speakers).

Accountability and Feasibility

A close relationship with Danny Arguetty, the mindfulness director, will continuously provide us with guidance and support with regards to our club structure and with what’s been successful with students in the past.

We are excited to move forward and get our club rolling!

Thank you for taking the time to read this over and we look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Ethan & Shelby

Presence Co-Presidents

Contact Information
Primary Contact First & Last Name: 
Ethan Jone
Email: 
ethansj@uw.edu
Full Proposal
This will display after the CSF committee has reviewed and approved your LOI, and after you have received the link to edit your application.
Executive Summary: 

Presence is a place where students can learn from one another's personal experiences & meditation journeys, inspiring personal growth via the support of a student-led, student-run community. Located within a 10-minute walk from central campus, our furnished studio meeting space provides a comforting oasis for any and all who care to experiment or expand upon topics of mindfulness.

The founding of Presence was inspired from our (Ethan and Shelby’s) time working together at the UW Resilience Lab. We worked with Dr. Anne Browning, Director of Resilience Lab, to analyze incoming data regarding the mental states of incoming freshmen. We discovered that a staggering population of students struggled with themes of belonging, social connection, and self-esteem. Through discussion, the two of us came to share that we too had personally struggled with these themes as UW students. Furthermore, we came to recognize that both of us had found support during these tough times through our own personal practices of meditation. We shared in common the experience of using meditation as a useful tool to better understand ourselves, as well as exploring how to heal in the face of personal challenges. Meditation provided long-term holistic solutions in the dealings of personal obstacles, instead of relying on consumption (commonly seen with alcohol, drugs, material possessions amongst students).  Presence was born upon the realization that meditation, having been so useful for the two of us, may be useful for other students as well. Having wished that meditation had been more accessible at UW in our time of need, we hope that it now can be accessible for students in their time of need.

Both from personal experience, conversations with other students, and exposure to mental health data at the UW; It has become glaringly obvious how great the need is at our school for students to be able to experience genuine connection and community. Although UW offers yoga through the Mindfulness program at the IMA, conversations with Mindfulness director Danny Arguetty has signified an absence of student community around such mindful topics. His program has sustained students physical need for stretching, movement, and exploration of slow movement, however Danny agrees that there is a lack of continued vulnerable and intimate dialogue between students when it comes to their own mental health. Knowing how significant and impactful community and social connection is, we see an opportunity for growth at UW. We have experienced how meditation inspires groundbreaking inner-clarity and centeredness, and we are adamant about building a much needed community based upon values of vulnerability and honesty, as well as expression and true self-acceptance.

Total amount requested from the CSF: 
$3 289
This funding request is a: 
Grant
Budget: 
Excel file included in other uploads below for formatting issues
Presence Budget through Spring Quarter 2021
ItemUnit CostUnitsTimeTotal CostDescription
Meeting Space: Weekly Hourly Rent$25.001.5 hours60 weeks$2,250
YouTube Red Subscription Monthly Fee$1212 years$250ability to predownload guided meditations to avoid buffering while meditating, access to more guided meditations
Swag: T-shirts, stickers, water bottles$15012 years$150club is recognizable and creates sense of identity/belonging. does not restrict access by asking students to pay for it themselves
Ad expenses: posters, flyers$5012 years$50
Ad expenses: hourly rate for student artist for red square chalk drawings$253 hoursThis Spring$75drawing chalk pathways with meditative art to draw in members. our primary tool for marketing Presence
Eco-village retreat expenses: lodging & gas$25012 years$250as a substitute for meeting over the summer, we will take a trip to an eco-village to inspire ourselves of how to live more minimalistically
Website expense: Wix Premium Monthly Fee$1112 years$264
Total Cost$3,289
Non-CSF Sources: 
UW entities for potential funding
UW Resilience Lab
IMA Rec Club Center
Fundraisers
UW Mindfulness Program
Project Completion Total: 
$3 289
Sustainability Impact: 
Energy Use
Community Development
Cultural Representation
Social Justice
Sustainability Challenge: 

The primary social sustainability challenge we are facing is emotional regulation and connection with others & ourselves. We would also like to address environmental sustainability by connecting our members with nature via mindful activities in green spaces, and eco-village retreats.

Our project addresses emotional regulation and social connection by cultivating a community of vulnerability and acceptance. Meditation is natural way that our members can use to be intentionally present to their emotions, as opposed to finding pleasure in excessive consumption (food, alcohol, drugs, material pleasures). As people consume less, they derive more of their rejuvenation from the nourishment of inner-peace. Human connection and conversation, especially about heartfelt and vulnerable topics, is so immersive that things aren’t as necessary to feel whole.  The most sustainable belief is realizing that the ultimate source of happiness lies within, not externally. In working towards integrating this belief, we hope our community can provide a net of support as we all experience the ups and downs of student life. Presence is a home to our current members.

We hope to expand our capacity and share it to anyone who feels lost or is open to developing a greater sense of belonging.

We would also like to include exposure and connection to nature as a part of our club meetings. Some weekly meetings will be held outdoors for meditative walks, or meditation in nature. Additionally, we are planning to host a short retreat this summer at a local eco-village to further understand & find inspiration from self-sustaining communities who live off the land as opposed to relying on consumption.

Furthermore, we will explore minimalist lifestyles and concepts among ourselves by sharing media poems, and philosophy excerpts that promote minimalism. In the future, we also hope to partner with minimalists and mindfulness practitioners and encourage them to share their experiences with living minimalistically.

Explain how the impacts will be measured: 

The impact of Presence will be measured primarily via participant retention. We believe that if membership is constant and participation is self-inspired and voluntary, despite the numerous distractions and obligations of student life, then Presence is accomplishing its goals. Its goals being; to foster community and belonging with emphasis on belonging to one’s self. Ethan and Shelby build personal relationships with each member, and stay in touch with participants to build community as well as build a general awareness of how each participant feels they belong, or what they personally gain from being a part of the group. In these one-on-one conversations, and sometimes group reflections on Presence, we gain feedback about what participants enjoy and dislike. We then take this information and implement it into our structure and plan to ensure that the form of the club is adapting to the participants needs. So far this scale of data collection has sufficed, however in the future when the club grows significantly larger, we will most likely in addition include quiet written reflection time or a short answer survey in order to ensure that Presence is meeting its social and environmental sustainability goals.

Additionally, our impact will be measured by the interest and involvement of members in leadership roles. It is apparent that students gain sense of belonging and long-term dedication if they are eager to play a role in maintaining and furthering the group. The more students prefer to contribute, the more we will take it as a sign that the group is self sustaining and therefor meeting its goals. More and more leadership positions will be extended as the group grows in size.

To maintain social intimacy and vulnerability, Presence will form into smaller groups that build rapport and then may participate in larger whole Presence events. Again this will ensure that communication is tight, each voice is heard among the masses of individuals, and we can maintain and gadge our ability to foster social sustainability. A sign of meeting our intended impact will include relationship building. We expect to see friendships sprout from this club, and intend to provide ample social activity for team building. If relationships are absent, we will have to reconsider our approach.  

Another measurement of Presence’ impact will levels of meditative participation and engagement. This includes the time at meetings in which we explore different exercises. Also reflection and contemplation of such themes during individuals lives outside of the meetings. Presence aims to inspire lifelong practices of mindfulness and awareness, and we will look for signs of these impacts in the stories that students share at group meetings as well as one on one conversation and shares.

Education & Outreach: 

Presence plans on taking multiple approaches when it comes to education and outreach.

First, Presence will collaborate with UW Mindfulness, and begin to gain visibility through their established marketing and outreach channels. This includes tabeling, verbal advertisement before yoga classes, and other Mindfulness marketing opportunities. Presence will also table on their own independent time, as well as in the upcoming Fall RSO fair. We will spread posters around campus in public bulletin boards, as well as in the HUB.

Secondly, Presence plans to hold meetings throughout the quarter during campus’ busiest times in public places like the Quad and Red Square. Through physical presence, our group will be a sort of spectacle from the standard students who are walking to class or sitting reading a book. We will have our branding and poster nearby so that passersby can connect the meeting to our mission, as explored further through our website that will introduce to them who we are and how to get involved. In fact, students will be invited right then and there to join us in meditation, if they are inclined.

Thirdly, Presence has collaborated with a fellow student organization called BizzBuzz whom has supported us in forming a marketing plan. They have been incredibly supportive in their role to create and design an effective and accessible website, as well as develop a MailChimp account in order to provide students with an email subscription of updates and information from Presence. They have also advised us on branding strategies to get the word out. Our website will be incredibly educational, as a section of the website will provide a “portfolio” which will outline resources for exploration into meditation and mindfulness from tried and true authors and researchers within the field. The website will also educate members of our values, mission, introduction to club members (via short bios), as well as meeting times and place. Furthermore, Presence plans on continuing collaboration with organizations in the UW community, with entities such as The Daily, Rainy Dawg Radio, ASUW Food Co-Op, Resilience Lab, Mental Health and Counseling Center. Through mutually beneficial relationships, we intend to support one another by spreading the word about what each entity offers.

Fourthly, each member will serve as a living breathing role model and poster child for Presence. We would like to create swag such as t-shirts, stickers, water bottles that will be embodied by members. As these members engage with the UW community, they will effortlessly spread the word about Presence. Each member who receives swag will be encouraged to promote Presence in an authentic way, and always be welcome and open to students who are curious about getting involved.

Student Involvement: 

During our weekly meetings, we often reach out to members of the club to lead an introductory activity, such as a stretch or guided visualization. Any of our members that have activities they’ve done in the past that helped them discover a mindful state, are actively encouraged to speak up. These ideas are incorporated into an upcoming week’s agenda.

We are in the process of expanding our administrative responsibilities to members who want to contribute to our overall success. The latest addition to our executive team is Jon, who has been with us since our first meeting, bringing his experience from working with the UW Mindfulness Program and Danny Arguetty. He will assist in spreading the word about Presence and collaborating with various communities who might benefit & enjoy mindfulness practices.

Our club is still nascent and Shelby and Ethan are still upholding most of the club’s responsibilities. However, we’ve made it clear to our members that if they want to contribute on the executive team, we will create an opportunity for them. Ultimately, we value being flexible and honoring our members’ excitement and interest in furthering our mission.

Some of the roles we’re considering are:

  • Marketing & Outreach: curating advertising content, hanging posters, developing an advertising strategy, thinking critically about new potential communities to reach
  • Website Management: ensuring information on the website is up to date and reflects our current status (website not yet active; in production)
  • Event Planners: plans speaker and retreat events, organizes logistics, tracks costs
  • Internal Communication: responsible for delivering reminders, messages, weekly email updates, text messages for group meeting organization
Timeline: 
TaskTimeframeEstimated Completion Date
Market Presence to greater UW public3 weeksMay 24th
Complete Website and begin using MailChimp to send member updates1 weekApril 21st
Plan logistics and date for summer eco-village retreat3 weeksJune 15th
Continue conversations with other UW entities for potential sponsorship/funding4 weeksJune 15th
Supplementary Documents : 
Year: 
Amount Awarded: 
$3,039
Potential Funding Reductions: 
Presence is a fairly straightforward club model with simple budget line items. Ultimately, the only thing truly necessary for us to operate are the funds to rent the space. If 10% of our total funding were cut, we would cut back on swag, and consider asking members to pay for branded merchandise. We would not like to pursue this avenue since we want to make it accessible for anyone regardless of financial status. We would also get creative with different ways we could advertise besides hiring a student artist for meditative art. If 20% of our total funding were cut, we would cut back on all the items listed for the 10% reduction, in addition to cutting our Youtube Red subscription and potentially our Wix premium subscription. When guided meditations buffer on Youtube, it interrupts the flow and energy of the meditative state. Instead of dealing with this, we could pursue other avenues to access guided meditations, such as apps. Our website is a crucial marketing tool, but we could find a way to simplify it and include less features, as well as potentially host the site for free. Ultimately, we can be resourceful to ensure our mission remains intact. If 50% of our total funding were cut, we would drastically cut back on the items included in the 10% and 20% sections above, and begin to host meetings outside of our normal studio space. It would be difficult since familiarity with a space encourages a more meditative state, but we would be able to get creative and make it work wherever we found ourselves. Another likely possibility in this case is choosing to not meet on some Sundays in order to lower our rent expenses.
Project Longevity: 

As an activity that has been proven by science to be fundamental in improving mental health, we anticipate Presence to develop strong roots in the UW community. As founders, and intended graduates of the 2020 class, we intend to groom and select two presidents to carry on internal and external oversight of Presence responsibilities in the 2020/21 year and on. We will have a democratic election in which all members will cast a vote for who they like to represent them. This election process and discussion will begin Winter quarter of 2020, and voted members will then shadow the current presidents in order to prepare for the following years responsibilities. New leadership will be provided with a transitional document that outlines responsibilities, passwords, leadership advice/past experience, breakdown of meetings and events, etc that they may reference at any point and time for support when needed. Even after graduating, we will be available to consult virtually with the presidents if they are facing any challenges. Furthermore, Ethan and I will pass on our relationship with the UW Mindfulness program and program leader Danny Arguetty who serves as a mentor and advisor for our club. As a practicing yogi, Mindfulness instructor, program leader, and UW professional, he serves as an influential advisor and support to the club as an experienced adult who also shares stakes in the club’s success.

In terms of financial maintenance beyond our first two years, we aim to be sustained through the partnership among other UW entities. The UW Mindfulness Program offers the opportunity to earn support through the application to tap into a donation based fund in which they have been collecting for years now. Additionally at the IMA, club registration as a Rec Club offers an opportunity to be funded by the IMA and recreational department. Beyond the IMA, Presence will consider applying for various seed grants offered by the ASUW, RSO Department, Comparative History of Ideas Undergraduate Program, and other opportunities on campus.

Beyond institutional support, the club feels that under difficult circumstances, after Presence is fully established, that some funds could be secured through fundraising on campus. We take the percent of other clubs such as “Campus Animal Rights Educators” (CARE for short), whom have bake sales in order to earn necessary funds while mutually benefiting students on campus with intentional and thoughtful goods.

One method of financial sustenance that will not be considered is a club member fee. A club membership fee will not be considered, as we do not want to discriminate participation based on financial status, stigma and privilege.

Project status: 
Active: Post-implementation phase