Developing plans for new buildings isn't something unusual, but for five BYU students it turned into an award-winning idea.
The students competed in the 2008 Social Venture Competition, established by the BYU Center for Economic Self-Reliance, and won first place -- along with $10,000 to fund their project. The group, Students for Self-Sustaining Schools, developed plans to build a hotel in the Kancheepuram district of India to help generate funding for a school in that area.
The plan includes ways to raise and maintain funds to support the school and to provide an opportunity for older students to work in the hotel to develop skills. Many developing countries rely on foreign aid, which is not always dependable. The Students for Self-Sustaining Schools' plan aims to make the area more self-sustainable.
"The model we created is focused on providing educational and social services for the youth in the area," said Harsh Dhawan Grover, recent MBA graduate from Himachal Pradesh, India, and member of the Students for Self-Sustaining Schools, in a news release. "They have lived in poverty all of their lives, and we want them to have the opportunity of a better future."
The other members of the group are Sylvia Finlayson, an educational leadership doctoral candidate from Valencia, Calif.; Ben Garrison, an economics major from Ogden; Brian Hill, an economics major from Citrus Heights, Calif.; and Steve Kofford, an economics major from Colorado Springs, Colo.
Students for Self-Sustainable Schools also won the audience choice award and received a bonus prize of $3,000.
SchoolTipLine, an online tool that allows students to anonymously report bullying and threats, won second place in the competition and a $4,000 award.
"A couple of years ago, my sister was bullied and harassed for informing her school administration about a particular situation," said Justin Bergener, SchoolTipLine Founder and CEO, in a news release. "After that experience, I knew I wanted to help students do the right thing without fearing others."
Next Deseret, an organization that helps finance nonprofit surgical centers in developing countries, won third place and was awarded $1,000.
The Center for Economic Self-Reliance also provides an opportunity for the finalist teams to receive additional funding for their projects by meeting plan-specific objectives, approved by the center, by March 2009. The competition gives students in all majors and departments a chance to express their interest and ideas about local, national or global issues.
"We want each of the teams to continue moving forward in their efforts to improve social issues," said Candice Copple, director of the Social Venture Competition, in a press release. "We believe their venture plans have the potential to significantly improve the lives of hundreds of people."
Copyright Brigham Young University 2 Jul 2008
