Executive Summary
While many RSOs focus their events on a single topic or target a specific major, ReThink’s goal is to reach as wide of an audience as possible, and we are seeking funding for an event that will do just that. We are requesting $1726 to host a “Resilience Challenge” which will implore participants to consider and engage with real-world problems surrounding predominantly business and the environment. This event is modeled after the Resilience Challenge hosted by Sustainable Seattle on October 2nd (more information on this event can be found here: http://pnwresilience.org). Located in the HUB, ReThink will team up with several clubs from across campus to draw an ideal crowd of around 100 students for the event. These students will spend three hours listening to panels of industry specialists, discussing relevant topics in breakout sessions, and collectively creating a plan of action with a realistic timeline and implementation strategy.
Beyond the experience members of the planning committee will gain from organizing and marketing this event, all participants of the Resilience Challenge will get exposure to a diverse array of students from other disciplines, and informative and inspiring presentations and discussions from professionals in their fields of interest. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to broaden their perspectives from the narrow views represented in their respective majors.
To ensure the Resilience Challenge draws the numbers we have projected, ReThink will partner with all participating parties and RSOs to employ a collaborative outreach strategy. This will involve placing marketing materials such as posters in the various buildings of departments we are seeking to target, and coordinating our online advertising through list serves and Facebook promotion.
To be clear, our event does not address one specific environmental problem, but rather a broad array of challenges that persist in today’s society. We will provide the information for participants to become educated on these important topics, and resources for them to learn how to get engaged.
Due to the nature of the event, the measurability of the event prior to its conclusion is quite limited. However, one the key outputs of the discussion segment of the event will be to come up with time-sensitive goals, and a way to measure them. We will then assign a student representative to each these goals in order to monitor overall progress towards them.
The following report will enumerate the specific event objectives, logistics, and funds requested.