Work in a team.
Participants will be assigned to an interdisciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate students with a robust mix of skills, knowledge, and experiences. As a team, students will learn about environmental justice in Boston and develop a Team Plan to fund nonprofit organizations working with communities at risk of environmental inequity.
Develop a plan.
Teams will study the accomplishments and priorities of several nonprofit organizations addressing environmental justice in Boston. They will then develop a Team Plan articulating their strategy for achieving impact by distributing $50,000 among three or more of these organizations.
Award real money.
Our funding partner, Germeshausen Foundation, will award $50,000 among the organizations included in the Team Plan judged to have the greatest potential for impact. Additionally, each team will be invited to direct a $1,000 grant from the foundation to the participating organization of its choice.
What is Environmental Justice?
Environmental Justice is the right of all people to live, work, and play in a clean and healthy environment and have a voice in the environmental issues that affect them regardless of their race, national origin, or socioeconomic status.
What is Experiential Philanthropy?
Experiential philanthropy (EP) is a teaching methodology that engages students in independent, real-dollar grant making so they can grapple with the practical and ethical implications of investing in social change and making difficult decisions with consequences. The Social Impact-athon will draw heavily on the practices of our course-based EP program, Northeastern Students4Giving (NS4G), which emphasizes systems thinking, ethical reasoning, humility, perspective taking, and collaboration.
As with NS4G, students’ decision making in the Social Impact-athon is independent of any relationships participating nonprofit organizations may have with the university. This event is not affiliated with the Northeastern Environmental Justice Research Collaborative.
[John Tlumacki/Getty]
Why Participate?
Collaboration and Teamwork
Experience the power of interdisciplinary collaboration while expanding your personal network.
Perspective Taking
Learn about the experience and expertise of Boston organizations and residents confronting environmental justice challenges in their communities.
Problem solving
Examine a complex and dynamic problem and develop a creative, ethical, and effective strategy for contributing to a solution.
Civic Mindedness
Learn about the role nonprofit organizations, philanthropy, and civic engagement play in our society.
Speakers
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Rebecca Riccio
Director, Social Impact Lab
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Daniel Faber
Professor of Sociology, Northeastern
Director, Northeastern Environmental Justice Research Collaborative
Atyia Martin
Distinguished Senior Fellow at Northeastern University's Global Resilience Institute, and first Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Boston
Kalila Barnett
Climate Resilience Program Officer, Barr Foundation
Andrew Seeder
Senior Associate, Research & Metrics, Conservation Law Foundation
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Joan Fitzgerald
Professor, School of Public Policy and Urban, Northeastern University
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Sunrise Movement Boston
Members of the local chapter will be answering questions in a tabling session on Saturday afternoon
Keynote:
Rev. Mariama White-Hammond
Pastor, New Roots AME Church
Schedule
18th
FRIDAY
Raytheon Amphitheatre
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Registration, Dinner
6:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Welcome, Overview Rebecca Riccio
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6:30 pm - 7:15 pm
Plenary
Daniel Faber
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7:20 pm - 8:05 pm
Plenary
Atyia Martin
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8:15 pm - 9:00 pm
Plenary
Andrew Seeder
19th
SATURDAY
Curry Student Center
9:00 am - 9:30 am
Breakfast
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9:30 am - 10:45 am
Keynote
Rev. Mariama White-Hammond
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10:45 am - 11:00 am
Break
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11:00 am - 11:45 am
Speaker
Kalila Barnett
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11:45 am - 12:15 am
Lunch
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12:15 am - 12:45 am
Speaker
Joan Fitzgerald
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12:45 pm - 1:00 pm
Break
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1:00 am - 2:30 am
Workshop
Rebecca Riccio
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2:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Team Work Sessions
Dinner and snacks provided
20th
SUNDAY
Curry Student Center
9:30 am
Proposals Due
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10:30 am - 1:00 pm
Lessons Learned and Brunch
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1:30 pm
Grantee Announcements, Closing Remarks
Sunrise Movement Boston
Coaches
Becca Berkey
Director of Service-Learning, Center of Community Service, Northeastern University
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Dan Jackson
Executive Director, NuLawLab, Northeastern University School of Law
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Chris Bosso
Associate Director, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs
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Liz Allen
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Global Resilience Institute, Northeastern University
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Joel Jaquez
Manager of External Relations and Partnerships
Learning by Giving Foundation
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Mari Barrera
Principal, Barrera Consulting
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Akiera Gilbert
On-Sight Customer Success Associate, APDS & Northeastern Students4Giving Alum
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Sarah Saydun
Pathways Coordinator, Zumix, & Northeastern Students4Giving Alum
Judges
Shaya Gregory Poku
Director, Center for Social Justice and Community Impact
Wheaton College
Sam Vaghar
Executive Director, Millennium Campus Network
Advisor to the Executive Director, UN Women
Shanna O'Berry
Director of Academic Programs
Learning by Giving Foundation
Kate Trimble
Senior Associate Dean and Director
Office of Experiential Learning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Jennie Stephens
Director, School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs
Director for Strategic Research Collaborations of the Global Resilience Institute, Northeastern University
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Ted Landmark
Director, Kitty and Michael Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy, Northeastern University
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