SOCIAL ACTION PROJECT?
LEARN ABOUT THE TOOL YOU CAN USE TO MAKE LOCAL AND GLOBAL CHANGE
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
WHAT DOES AN IMPACT PROJECT LOOK LIKE?
Conduct a short research project to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
An impact project can take many forms, ranging from a school project to a nonprofit organization.
In the next slide, you’ll see the main different forms that impact projects can take.
DIFFERENT FORMS OF IMPACT PROJECTS
INITIATIVE
A project or plan organized to address an issue.
ex) When We All Vote (voter registration initiative)
VOLUNTEER EVENT
An event hosted for volunteers to do work to benefit a cause.
ex) A beach clean-up
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
A legal entity organized and run for a collective, public, and/or social benefit. It is characterized by putting proceeds entirely towards its cause.
ex) Make-A-Wish Foundation
NGO
A non-governmental organization is usually a nonprofit organization and typically does humanitarian work or advocates a public policy. It is characterized by being independent of the government.
ex) Doctors Without Borders
CLUB
A group typically at a school or community center revolving around doing service or taking action to address a certain issue.
ex) Students Against Racial Discrimination Club
PROTOTYPE
Get innovative! Design a prototype of a sustainable solution or product that addresses the challenges of your chosen issue. Explain how your innovation can contribute to achieving the goal.
CLUB
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF IMPACT PROJECTS
Address issue in community or world
A club at school or your local community is
Primarily concerned with the social or public well-being and/or living conditions of a certain beneficiary
Created with intention of sustainability over time
REAL WORLD EXAMPLES
LITERATUREDIVERSIFIED -
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
Creates educational curriculum for middle and high schools that highlights marginalized groups in history on an international scale to foster more inclusive classrooms. regional chapters fundraisers for cause awarded grants
CLIMATE RESOLVE -
INITIATIVE
Connects communities, organizations, and policymakers to come up with equitable solutions to address the global climate crisis locally from California, and focuses on addressing climate change in minority communities.
STORIES AROUND THE WORLD -
SCHOOL CLUB
Pairs American high school students with underprivileged students from different countries across the world to collaborate to write original stories, to allow underprivileged students to express themselves and find their voices through creative writing. school membership
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
An impact project should be centered around an issue you want to address. Your project doesn’t have to solve your issue in its entirety, but should make a sustainable impact on addressing of it.
FOCUS ON WAYS THAT YOUR PROJECT CAN ADDRESS YOUR ISSUE
In the next module, we will learn more about identifying a topic for your project
Your project should make in difference in the impact of the issue you choose
Example - An impact project addressing unnecessary food waste can make a difference in the issue by creating a program to collect food waste to compost
This project doesn’t solve the entire issue of food waste, but it contributes to tackling it
HAVING A SCALE-ABLE IMPACT
Your project’s impact should be scale-able.
What does scaling a project look like?
Creating chapters
Applying for scholarships and/or grants
Creating a social media presence
Reaching out to partner with other organizations
HOW TO MAKE YOUR IMPACT SCALEABLE
When envisioning your project, don’t stop at your immediate goal. Instead, picture the ways that your project can expand and what that will look like.
Planning these details will be covered in a later module, but for now, keep in mind that your project will grow larger.
ABILITY TO GROW TEAM FOR CAUSE
“Two heads are better than one” - and a whole team of heads are even better!
An impact project should have the ability to grow a team around its mission
Having different committees or departments is a great way
Think: how can I compartmentalize my project? What groups can I build around it?