Apply Now for the CGI U Outstanding Commitments Awards
- deadline is July 28, 2008 -
What is CGI U?
CGI U is a new project of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) which challenges college students and universities to address global problems with practical, innovative solutions. At CGI U, young people and universities do more than simply discuss the world’s challenges – they take real, concrete steps towards solving them.
What are the CGI U Outstanding Commitments Awards?
At the inaugural meeting of CGI U, President Clinton announced the CGI U Outstanding Commitment Awards. Award recipients – which will include students, student groups, and universities – will receive funding directly from the Wal-Mart Foundation to help them implement Commitments to Action in CGI U’s four main focus areas: energy & climate change, global health, human rights & peace, and poverty alleviation.
How can I apply for the Outstanding Commitments Awards?
The first step in the application process is to make a Commitment to Action at www.cgiu.org. All commitment-makers who want to be considered for these awards will later have to describe how their commitment fulfills the five award criteria described below.
What is a Commitment to Action?
A Commitment to Action is a new, specific, and measurable action that addresses local or global issues with practical, innovative solutions.
In formulating commitments, students are encouraged to focus on the resources available to them specifically through their universities and to be mindful of accessible human capital (for example: student time, professors’ expertise, university research capacity, and physical resources) to effectively address a specific challenge either at home or abroad.
All commitments must meet three basic criteria:
New: Each commitment should reflect an effort that is either new or being scaled-up. For example, consider creating a new project, or expanding an existing project to include more geographical areas, new issues, or new partners.
Specific: Each commitment should articulate specific objectives, approaches, and timelines. We encourage you to define your objectives, outline your activities and milestones, and identify the target completion date for your commitment.
Measurable: How will you measure the success of your commitment? Identify specific results that you want to report back on and the benchmarks against which you will measure your progress. The impact can be determined in many ways, depending on the type of commitment you make, such as in funds raised, houses built, or children tutored, but must demonstrate that concrete results are being achieved. For ideas and examples of CGI U Commitments to Action, please see the CGI U website – www.cgiu.org.
How will Award winners be chosen?
Commitments to Action will be judged on the following criteria:
Sustainability: How well does the commitment integrate principles of sustainability? CGI U assumes a broad approach to sustainability that incorporates economic, social, and environmental components.
Innovation: Does the commitment approach social issues in novel and interesting ways?
Replication: Can the project be replicated in different locations by new groups?
Impact: Does this commitment demonstrate a real and lasting impact in addressing global and/or local challenges? During the selection process both depth and scale of impact will be considered.
Leveraging Available Resources: Can this project effectively capitalize on the specific resources available to students?
In selecting award recipients, CGI U will be looking at the progress that students and universities have made towards implementing their Commitments to Action since the time of submission.
How many Awards are available?
35 student and student group commitments will be eligible for awards of up to $10,000 for their projects.
When will I find out if I have received an Award?
Award winners will be notified at the beginning of the 2008-09 academic year.
Allison Bream
CGI U Intern
Commitments Department
212.710.4431
