On Oct. 10, ETSU saw the launch of a new initiative to improve the quality of life in our region. ETSU Elevates is a generous grant dedicated to fund service projects oriented to that end.
This is a yearlong contest in which a $90,000 service grant will be divided between 15 service projects, with $5,000 funding each one. Anyone partnering with one or more members of the ETSU community – whether faculty, staff, students, etc. – has a chance to develop a project idea, pitch it and receive a vote on it in the five-pitch competitions held through April 2020.
ETSU Elevates is not only an innovative idea, but it motivates students to use creativity with real situations, facilitates a coworker relationship between students and professors, and provides a solid illustration of ETSU’s mission to improve the well-being of our region.
Students participating in ETSU Elevates are given the opportunity not just to learn something in class but to be employ their minds to actually do something for the community. Practical experience in real life situations is invaluable, which is why several departments and programs require an internship or a practicum before graduation. But unlike an internship or a practicum, the ETSU Elevates challenge provides the opportunity for all students in any program or department to make a difference, free of charge.
In addition, the grant fosters a professional relationship between students and faculty members, should they participate on the team.
ETSU President Brian Noland said in a video published on Oct. 16 that ETSU Elevates “will bring together student groups, faculty groups and community organizations to live [ETSU’s] mission.”
By working alongside professionals, students will develop a sense of camaraderie with them that will prove beneficial for their careers.
Perhaps most importantly, by improving the lives of those in our community, we help realize ETSU’s vision statement: “Developing a world-class environment to enhance student success and improve the quality of life in the region and beyond.”
It should almost seem axiomatic that the nobility of aiding others and enhancing their quality of life gives value to the service grant program.
While considering the advantages of the competition, however, it behooves us also to examine some of its potential drawbacks. If there are not enough contestants, where will the money go? What about cases in which the ideas presented are less than superb?
There is no telling whether these situations will arise, and should they do so, I believe the architects of the service grant to be tactful enough to have made provision for them. We do not know that will happen, but we do know that if we do not innovate and take risks, we might encounter these problems. At that point, it depends on how we, as students, respond.
So I encourage my fellow scholars to take initiative and compete for the well-being of our community. Our ideas to improve people’s lives can be actualized, and as we set our minds at work and our hearts on those around us, I am excited to see what we will come up with.
