Work > Next
Interested in partnering with us?
Read on to find out more about our plans for future projects, and how you might be able to help.
Scaling & Seeking
We always strive to match our competitively picked teams of 4-5 students with senior sponsors on projects that reflect the complex challenges facing society, the economy, and the environment.
In parallel, we are deepening our conversation with universities, senior leaders in key fields, and foundations about how this program could be scalable, impactful, and financially sustainable.
We continue to seek systems-changing projects, funding, and sharing with others who may be interested in helping out.
Publicize Our Process
We will publicize the results of this through formal and informal discussions with stakeholders and by publishing in appropriate academic, corporate, and media outlets, both specialized and general.
As such, we are actively seeking several students interested in front-line journalism to document the process and the work that teams are doing in a modern format that others can learn from over time.
What Sets Us Apart
The inter-disciplinary skills required to mobilize complex change are hard to teach in traditional siloed academic environments.
This has become more apparent as colleges and universities face increasing stresses related to cost, access, and effectiveness in equipping students for thriving lives and careers.
The COVID-19 pandemic has accentuated pressure on higher education, resulting in a proactive shift to fully online classes and large numbers of students deferring enrollment.
These factors are resulting in large numbers of high-potential students who are poorly engaged in learning the practical, hands-on skills required to be effective agents of change. Our program puts these students to work.
Questions to Consider
Do the students perceive this as an experience that is substantially better than existing leadership and internship programs? (survey)
Do project sponsors perceive the work as high value and responsive? (interviews)
Can we convince other stakeholders that the program is worth continuing through participation and funding? (interviews, additional funding interest or commitments)
Future Steps
We are seeking funding to formalize the design, try out a 3-month work period, and seek input and support from additional senior leaders and foundations as we prepare to widen our reach.
If this sounds like a project you'd be interested in, drop us a line at contact@normalnext.org or fill out the form below.
Long-Term Goals
The goal is to learn whether it is possible to:
– scale and sustain a new type of experiential education program that
– delivers high-quality work based on real-life problems
– to senior leaders
– in a manner that achieves real progress against key societal challenges
– such that the most promising students, of all backgrounds, perceive this as a sought-after opportunity
– to advance both their formal education and their careers
– and demonstrates that putting equity, diversity, and inclusion at the heart of our work is key to success.