Overview
The 2011 Stanford Social Movement Challenge (Social-M) makes students an integral part of new campus programs. In this $15,000 competition, Social-M participants partner with campus institutions to make real impact within one of three social categories: environmental sustainability, health, and civic engagement. Social-M channels the creative, entrepreneurial energy of Stanford students into University-supported initiatives. The objective is to more effectively motivate, unite, and leverage the Stanford community to make lasting social change. Last year, Social-M was introduced on the Stanford campus to great success. The kick-off conference, Converge, saw 300 excited attendees, and drew in 18 groups the competed for $10,000 in prizes. This year we expect to see even greater success.
Structure
Social-M Challenge launches on Saturday, March 31st with CONVERGE, a two-hour summit at Stanford University. Attendees will learn skills that will help them focus their campaigns towards a concrete and measurable goal, grab people's attention with authentic and memorable messages, and empower others to take action. Sponsors will unveil projects that students can participate or lead. Projects have variable deadlines each corresponding to the scope and scale of the action needed: 1 week, 2 weeks, or 4 week. Prizes too scale with the degree of investment: $500, $1000, $1500. Winners may also receive sponsor-specific, in-kind rewards to further incentivize for their participation.
