Beginning on September 29th and running through December 7th, 2014, St. Edward’s University will participate in the Small Steps, Big Wins Campus Challenge, a friendly competition through Net Impact, empowering students to take small steps towards creating big social and environmental change. Undergraduate, graduate students, as well as faculty and administration, will team up to see who can take the most positive actions such as choosing alternative forms of transportation, donating blood, and organizing a volunteer day, or simply recycling.
Net Impact, the nonprofit organization behind Small Steps, empowers young people to drive social and environmental change on campus and throughout their future careers, backed by sponsors such as Alcoa Foundation and Newman’s Own. In 2013, Small Steps inspired 110,000 actions across 75 campuses, with a goal of 100 campuses worldwide in 2014. With much commitment and determination from the student body, St. Edward’s University came in 2nd place last year!
Rewards for winning teams and schools range from gift cards and cash awards to leadership conference trips. Students share their actions online and are able to compete at the individual, team, and campus levels. This year, Net Impact will re-launch Small Steps on a customized collegiate version of myActions, the social network for the planet. Students will benefit from enhanced social interactions, improved action reporting, and a mobile app to capture actions and photos in real-time.
Christine Lacayo, St. Edward’s University’s Sustainability Graduate Assistant believes that “This is a great opportunity for students because it encourages them to be more environmentally friendly and aware. It also creates a sense of campus unity engaging the entire community to take small actions towards a larger impact.”
Looking for an internship? Apply to the Campus Director Fellowship Program by September 28th and you can begin to promote and build the Small Steps movement on campus. This is a great opportunity for students to gain leadership and public speaking skills for the competitive job market, looks great on your resume, and it’s a fun way to engage your fellow classmates. Campus Directors will also have the opportunity to attend the 2014 Net Impact Conference in Minneapolis November 6-8 (registration and travel included). A one-year Net Impact membership will also be granted to students for access to career-oriented webinars and hundreds of job boards.
Interested students and schools should visit smallsteps.netimpact.org for more details on how to get involved. You may also contact this year’s campus directors, Mary Katherine Belknap, Clara Ewert, and Victoria Edwards for more information.
Click to join Small Steps, Big Win Campus Challenge on Twitter and on Facebook.