Class of 2010 Civic Projects

Class of 2010 Team Projects 

As part of the RFL annual program, participants are grouped into teams at the first session and are asked to complete a civic/community project during the course of the year.  The teams selected from a list of projects submitted by the community. Below is a brief description of projects and the corresponding community benefits that immersed.

     Leadership Connect: RFL submitted this project.  The team interviewed RFL graduates, non-profit organizations, and some government entities to validate the need and determine the functionality.  They created the design and layout of a database to perform a ‘matching service’ to connect leadership opportunities to individuals. The goal is to use specific criteria to make ‘successful’ matches, thus increasing effectiveness of community organizations like citizens committees and non-profit boards.  We have a proposal to build it for $5,000, and we have raised $1,000 to-date and continue to look for investors for the additional $4,000. 

   Partner with Marshall Direct fund: this team connected several middle school classrooms within the Roaring Fork Valley to schools in Pakistan.  They called this a Cyber-Peace project.  There has been recent research that recommends the best way to achieve global peace is to connect our youth in meaningful ways. The youth in this project found ways to celebrate their diversity and identified ways we are similar.  It was amazing!

   Personal Finance Revolution: Personal Finances – one of the most ‘taboo’ subjects in the human race.  This team conducted 4 seminars throughout the valley to help people with managing their finances and make it a fun conversation at the same time.  One of the outcomes was that people discovered they are not alone, and that most people don’t have this figured out. 

    Partner with Roaring Fork Conversancy:  another group partnered with the Roaring Fork Conversancy, to change behavior about bottle water.  They orchestrated two viewings of a documentary called ‘Tapped’ in both Aspen and Carbondale.  Using the voting key-pads supplied by the city of Aspen, they captured people behavior before the viewings and after.  Both RFL and the conservancy have received requests to show the film in other areas.  It has definitely caused a ‘ripple effect’ in the community.

   Café Scientifique: Have you ever had a conversation with a geo-engineer about global warming? Or talked to an immunologist about worms that are good for our body? This group established a forum to discuss issues of science with subject matter experts that make it easy to understand.  This model called Café Scientifique started in Europe and has several chapters.  The one in Denver now has the highest attendance in the world, and we now have one in our valley!  This team continues to work together and is committed to conducting at least 4 more events between now and the spring of 2011.  If you can try and attend one.  They have a website www.rfcafesci.com  if you want dates of future events.