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EVERETT PROGRAM IMPACTATHON STRUCTURE

HOW TO LAUNCH AN EVERETT PROGRAM IMPACTATHON

1

Recruit a team & choose your roles

2

Decide on a virtual or in-person impactathon. Set a date and time.

3

Select a social justice issue relevant to your community and build a 1+ hour workshop on it

4

Pair the social justice issue with an appropriate tech tool and build a 1+ hour workshop on it

5

Collaborate with community partners to help discuss the chosen social justice issue

6

Everyone create example materials using the tech tool to advocate for the social justice issue

7

Practice facilitating all parts of the Impactathon as a team

8

Build community and facilitate an amazing impactathon!

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

These roles and tasks can overlap to better suit your needs. All of these tasks require cross-collaboration, people in these roles lead the planning for that section but everyone will help execute different tasks

Impactathon Organizer

The organizer recruits a small stellar team and together they choose a social justice issue and appropriate tech tool. They then create a work plan and coordinate community partnerships.

Logistics & Recruitment

This person creates and executes a recruitment strategy for the Impactathon. They also manage Impactathon logistics like tech setup, registration and acquiring resources.

Evaluation

The organizer recruits a small stellar team and together they choose a social justice issue and appropriate tech tool. They then create a work plan and coordinate community partnerships.

Tech Workshop Facilitators

Those in this role will develop workshops and guides on how to learn and teach the chosen tech tool. Everyone on the team will need to assist with tech learning.

Social Justice Workshop Facilitators

These facilitators research the social justice issue and create a workshop around it with engaging discussions, activities and resources.

Day of Impactathon Role: Host

Oftentimes the host will be played by the organizer or logistics coordinator. Hosts keep the energy high throughout the Impactathon. They get the day started, lead energizers, and help transition activities.

Day of Impactathon Role: Firefighter

Firefighters are usually played by the organizer or logistics coordinator. They help resolve issues that come up throughout the day and “put out the fires”. For example, if someone is having trouble accessing a file, they’re the go-to.

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NEAR TO PEER LEARNING INSIGHTS

You don’t need to be an expert in the concept to engage in it and to have it be a valuable learning experience for participants

1

It’s okay if you don’t know the answer to a question from a participant. You can look it up together and call on others to support you. Exploring together is encouraging

2

Sometimes participants will know more than you and this is a gift! You can call on them as leaders in the space and have them grow their interpersonal skills

3

BEST PRACTICES FOR IN-PERSON V. VIRTUAL
In-Person
Virtual

  • Longer Impactathon sessions (6-8 hours each day) because it takes a lot of coordination to get people to physically commit

  • Medium consistent groups (5-7)

  • Variety of active icebreakers for building community

  • Give people nametags with their pronouns (encourage them to draw or add stickers to theirs)

  • Keep track of where your participants are in the space (particularly if you’re working with minors)

    • Figuring out why some people left early and who stayed will help in the learning process

  • Shorter Impactathon sessions (2-3 hours max) to keep engagement high

  • Small consistent groups in breakout rooms on zoom (3-5)

  • Variety of engaging online icebreakers for building community (check our recommendations below)

  • Have people upload a profile picture and zoom background to bolster their online presence

  • Create & review protocols for online interaction

  • Use zoom features to increase engagement

  • Whiteboard

  • Poll

  • Reactions

  • Realistic timing. Be sure to build in extra buffer time for transitioning activities and technical difficulties. Things rarely go to plan!

  • Create multiple opportunities for participants to share their knowledge and experience, this is the value of near to peer learning

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