PROJECTS
Projects
Check out some of BIG's recent projects!
VOTEBIG 2020
Beginning on National Voter Registration Day 2020, VoteBIG was a week-long programming campaign organized by BIG to inform and empower Greater Boston Area students as they prepared to vote in the 2020 election. During VoteBIG, we hosted:
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Daily Virtual Voter Drives to help guide first-time voters through the voter registration process
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A Civic Engagement Speaker Series to help bring GBA students and local/state-level public figures — including Boston City Councilors, former Gov. Michael Dukakis, then-Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, and others — together for conversations about important issues impacting college students and the communities to which they belong
VoteBIG was supplemented by civic engagement-related advocacy initiatives spearheaded by BIG student leaders. More information about that work can be found on our news page.
VOTEBIG 2020
Beginning on National Voter Registration Day 2020, VoteBIG was a week-long programming campaign organized by BIG to inform and empower Greater Boston Area students as they prepared to vote in the 2020 election. During VoteBIG, we hosted:
-
Daily Virtual Voter Drives to help guide first-time voters through the voter registration process
-
A Civic Engagement Speaker Series to help bring GBA students and local/state-level public figures — including Boston City Councilors, former Gov. Michael Dukakis, then-Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, and others — together for conversations about important issues impacting college students and the communities to which they belong
VoteBIG was supplemented by civic engagement-related advocacy initiatives spearheaded by BIG student leaders. More information about that work can be found on our news page.
"TRANSFORMATIVE" MENTORING PROGRAM
In conjunction with City Councilor At-Large Annissa Essaibi-George and through partnership with the Boston University Student Government Association, BIG is preparing to partner with the Boston Public Schools System to launch a mentorship program for 6 - 12 grade students interested in learning more about college & the application process. We plan to leverage BIG's many resources to provide a diverse array of college experiences and perspectives on college for 6 - 12 graders who may be navigating the college application process. This program was piloted with great success during the 2020-2021 academic year.
BIG DEBATES
In addition to the virtual conversations that BIG hosted during VoteBIG 2020, our team has also hosted virtual debates, town halls, and roundtable discussions with other important public policy figures. Our “BIG Debates” series is ongoing, but some of our recent events have included appearances from Sen. Ed Markey and Republican Senate Candidate Kevin O’Connor and all five candidates in the 2021 Newton City Council Special Election. We hope to continue this series during the 2021-2022 academic year to ensure that college-aged youth in the Greater Boston Area are able to hear directly from political candidates and public decision-makers about issues important to them.
URBAN WILDS CLEAN-UP PARTNERSHIP
In the spring of 2021, BIG partnered with the City of Boston to perform an Urban Wilds Clean-Up in Mattapan, MA. This partnership was the first of what we hope to be many future collaborations with local officials that provide college-aged students with opportunities to promote sustainable urban practices. To learn more about some of BIG’s sustainability-related efforts, visit our BIG Blog.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT NETWORK
Boston University first initiated this network to create a space for the members of its international student population to support one another and share relevant resources. With the establishment of BIG, the Intercollegiate Affairs Committee has been expanding this network to the rest of our member institutions. Through intercollegiate collaboration, we hope that this network will be a useful tool for GBA international students to build meaningful relationships and meet others with similar interests.
BOSTON MAYORAL FORUM
Boston University first initiated this network to create a space for the members of its international student population to support one another and share relevant resources. With the establishment of BIG, the Intercollegiate Affairs Committee has been expanding this network to the rest of our member institutions. Through intercollegiate collaboration, we hope that this network will be a useful tool for GBA international students to build meaningful relationships and meet others with similar interests.
