The Innovation Award recognizes a program, event, or initiative that introduces a unique or novel approach put forward by a student group. The award is to recognize exceptional creativity, forward thinking, and the ability to transform ideas to impactful solutions.
Criteria for Innovation Award
At Washington University in St. Louis, we believe that innovation is the heart of progress. We want to recognize student groups who have been creative and innovative, whether it is in their programming ideas, organization structure, initiatives, projects, or partnerships. These creative initiatives should be meeting the needs of the community and will have produced an outstanding product.
Groups receiving this award will demonstrate the following:
- Vision and Strategy
- Group understands the importance of challenging the status quo and applying creative and innovative solutions to affect positive change.
- Group will have developed a vision for change.
- Group will have formulated goals and action steps necessary to bring their vision into reality.
- Connection and Collaboration
- Group seeks out meaningful relationships to foster positive change.
- Group understands these relationships not simply as a means to an end but as an integral component of creating an effective community.
- Group finds ways to motivate, utilize, and incorporate others to move their vision forward.
- Integration and Meaningful Action
- Group is able to translate ideas into action.
- Group seeks opportunities to develop cultural competency and understand themselves as contributing to the improvement of a global society.
- Group creates opportunities for the inclusion of multiple perspectives to develop synergistic results.
- Valuing Others
- Group seeks to understand the communities in which they are a part.