On Oct. 9, students who have been participating in ETSU Elevates will pitch their projects at the Martin Center, in hopes of winning more funding to further their work. This will be the fourth year of Elevates, which began back in 2019.

“One of the students has said that ‘this is a way to put your passion into action’,” says Vice Provost of Community Engagement and Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan, Susan McCracken.

ETSU Elevates is a platform that helps connect students who have an idea to impact their community, with community partners who will work with them to turn their ideas into reality. Students are chosen through a competitive process in the spring, work through the summer while meeting once a week with faculty advisors, and are given a $1,500 stipend to put towards piloting their projects.

“Each of us lives in a community, and there are issues that are in communities that we think maybe don’t directly affect us, but all the challenges in a community do impact everybody there,” says McCracken.

The event on Oct. 9 allows these undergraduate and graduate students to present the work that they have done, in order to gain more attention for their cause. The event will be judged, with first place receiving an extra $1,500, second place receiving $2,500, third place receiving $3,500 and “People’s Choice” receiving $1,000. Audience members will be able to vote for their favorite pitch with tokens that they may place into a ballot box. Judges will make their placements based on the student’s personal commitment to their project, the quality of the presentation, their project’s social impact and how developed their project is. These cash rewards will act as an extra stipend for these students to put towards their projects, as they continue to develop them.

(Contributed/ETSU)

“Our students are so . . . Oh my gosh, they’re so talented, and they have so many skills that they are seeking opportunities to deploy to their community,” says McCracken.

McCracken shared a sentiment about watching these students go from having a hesitant idea to gaining expertise and confidence, as well as significant growth in learning to work with community partners.

Elevates projects have a wide range of focus-areas, and are encouraged through the university’s goal of community-engagement. Elevates in recent years has gravitated towards becoming more focused on leadership development and acts as a positive mentoring space for students. The projects created are ongoing even after presentations end, with many students looking towards contributing to community-informed research, and goals of expanding the resources they have created for years to come.

“ETSU is here to support the prosperity and vitality of our region, and that is the condition and quality of life for everyone who lives here,” says McCracken.

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