IIGE Orientation Launches Year of Impact

Students, faculty, and community members packed into the Global Innovation and Design (GID) Lab Hall (MLG 203) for the Institute for Innovation and Global Engagement Orientation on October 9, 2024. The theme was "A Year of Impact," and the program included a high energy ideathon on themes for the IIGE's Global Engagement Conference scheduled for May 21, 2025. 

She described the IIGE's many funded opportunities to help students immerse themselves in global learning, inclusive problem solving, and community engagement.

The IIGE's academic programs: Global Honors and its Minors in Innovation & Design and Global Engagement, and the new NextGen Civic Leader Corps microcredential were well represented on that crisp Wednesday morning as people gathered to celebrate the impact of 20 years of Global Honors and 10 years of Innovation and Global Engagement, with more than 1500 people served across the South Sound Region by the five-year-old GID Lab. Community Advisory Board and Innovation Action Network members were in the mix and the venue was soon brimming with laughter and lively chatter as people filled their plates with the hot, welcoming pasta lunch. New faces searched for guidance, while seasoned ones reminisced.

Drew Bamford, Co-Chair of the IIGE Community Advisory Board, then led the group into the ideathon. UN Sustainable Development Goals provided inspiration for the topics. Bamford was a catalyst, encouraging participants to embrace creativity and bring forward topics they were passionate about. Ideas were shared freely, without judgment, with encouragement to be wild and inspiring. Climate change, the impact of AI on health, education, and art; and access to clean water were some of the ideas brought forth. 

For the second half of the Orientation, Program Administrator Sarah Newell provided an overview of Honors and Minor pathways while Program Coordinator Liz Hunt described student engagement opportunities and the NextGen Civic Leader Corps microcredential. GID Lab Alumna Maria Babko brought the value of the GID Lab Internship to life, sharing the professional development opportunities it gave her. 

The chatter faded to sounds of curiosity, leaving students with the lasting impression that we, as a community, would be building something monumental together. The event concluded with a celebration, marking the start of a bright future for our three programs, united as one community.