Go, go, Gadget, go – 7 weeks down, one more to go!
This might not be a cartoon, but I assure you, we’ve got quite a few characters in USDS 2009. We’re all feeling the crunch as this is the last week to finalize our projects and put together presentations for a dynamo August Green Drinks. Besides using our arsenal of mental gadgets to get the projects done, this week’s highlights included…
Greg Peterson of Planet Access
On Monday we met with Greg from Planet Access, a social venture enterprise that trains and employs persons with disabilities to process shipping orders for a range of companies including Horny Toad Activewear and PACT, the world’s first sustainable underwear company! Greg spoke with us about the value of social venture enterprises and how business can lead the way to creating long-term social change. The idea is that each venture picks a neglected demographic of the population to serve with training and employment opportunities fitting them into some part of the company’s operations. Greg was a wonderful spokesman for socially conscious business because he was realistic about the barriers that stand in the way but, more importantly, optimistic about the possibilities to create change. Thanks Greg!
Project Work: Plastic Bags and Crossing Communities
The Plastic Bags group and the Crossing Communities group had three full days this week to work on their projects. Though some of the time was spent on “house-keeping,” all in all it was a productive week for both groups.
The Crossing Communities group narrowed down the list of projects to look at and interviewed a number of folks who have personally crossed communities and lived to tell about it. The group is refining their framework for which to evaluate existing projects or programs that “cross communities.” By the end of a harrowing week, everyone was sent home with their fair share of homework so that we can begin compiling information on Monday. Are you resilient enough to work with a community that’s not your own? This group certainly is!
The Plastic Bags group had a productive week of mapping out the process for convening retail groups to work together to reduce plastic bag use. The group also scheduled a meeting with the Alderman to go over this process and hear his feedback. It’s a tricky process of negotiating multiple interests, but the group is walking that fine line like nobody’s business!
Prairie Crossing
Developing recommendations for the Institute at Prairie Crossing, a conservation community in Grayslake, is the one summer project in which all ten participants are working together. It’s a bit cumbersome to coordinate such a talented bunch, but this week the group managed to synthesize the various aspects of the project. Rather than all ten of us hashing it out, we broke up into three groups and analyzed the conservation community based on existing assets, opportunities, and prospective audience. We came up with a series of proposals that move outward in terms of scope, starting with community building moving towards broader public outreach. It’s a fresh perspective for a vanguard conservation community!
Process Visualization Activity
We ended the week with an activity where we paired up and drew out our process for tackling this summer’s most exciting projects. We were warned not to draw the logistical steps we took to arrive at our end goal, but rather to focus on the overall process for approaching the problem. Not an easy task, but thankfully, Peter gave us a second chance. What does your process look like?