After two days of brainstorming and discussing the future of the ONE Campus Challenge, the OCC students from Michigan and Florida had the opportunity to tour the White House.
The second day of our trip to the ONE headquarters in DC has just wrapped up, and we’re all beginning to realize what makes the ONE Campus Challenge (OCC) such a unique and fulfilling college experience: our dedication and the idea that the work of millions of other ONE members is changing the face of history.
On behalf of the students chosen for the ONE Campus Challenge (OCC) grand prize, hello from Washington, DC! Because of all of the hard work done by both the University of Michigan (UofM) and the University of Florida (UF), we were able bring nine students from these universities to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
On Day One, we met at the ONE headquarters in DC for our first briefing session. As we discussed the itinerary for the week, you could feel the excitement in the room grow as events like “ONE photo shoot,” “2011-2012 planning session” and “White House tour” were mentioned. When we were sitting around the conference table with other dedicated ONE members and coordinators, it finally hit home — I’m making a difference on a higher level regarding an issue I’m most passionate about.” As my mom would say, it’s definitely something to write in my diary!
About 30 ONE volunteers approached 70,000 people attending the U2 concert in East Lansing, Michigan, adding 3,257 new members to the existing 2.5 million members of ONE. Each signature also supported the GAVI vaccine petition, which will help save four million premature childhood deaths by 2015. ONE members from as far as South Carolina and Ohio engaged concert attendees alongside Amnesty International and the Aung San Suu Kyi Charity in the summertime heat for nearly five hours on the Michigan State University campus.
Summer is nearly here –- the weather is getting warmer, exams are almost over, and our ONE Campus students certainly deserve a change of pace after a long yet rewarding year of advocating for the world’s poorest people. Students from around the country have a lot planned for their summers -– they’re going to volunteer, travel and get internships all around the world during their well-deserved break.
That’s why this year, we’re encouraging our students to grab a camera and start taking some captivating photos. Send us a photo of you in ONE gear, of your travels in the developing world or of a personal story centered on extreme poverty in Africa — and submit as many high-quality, high-resolution photos you would like for a chance to win our Summer Photo Challenge!
The first, second and third place winners of the challenge will receive special media outreach from ONE’s stellar communications team, will be featured on the main ONE blog and get some exclusive ONE gear. Check out our full challenge rules here –- and break out those cameras!
This year, our campus students brought in 7,000 new ONE Campus Challenge members, generated 8,000 petition-signers and wrote more than 4,000 letters to Congress. Across the nation, students took action and made a tremendous impact on the lives of the world’s poorest people. In addition to the OCC Grand Prize winners, this year we’ve decided to select three individual prize winners for their outstanding work.
Sarah, Conor and Domonique, winners of our ONE Campus Individual Awards
Last night, the student chapter of ONE at the University of Delaware hosted a forum on global poverty and preventable disease on campus, featuring Delaware Senator Chris Coons.
ONE is campaigning to ensure that the Congressional budget does not cut foreign assistance programs like Feed the Future that help people break the cycle of poverty and hunger.
The Horn of Africa is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. More than 11 million people, mostly nomadic pastoralists and farmers in south-central Somalia, north-eastern Kenya, and south-eastern Ethiopia, are severely lacking access to food.
2011 marks 30 years since the first cases of AIDS were documented. Take a closer look at the specific, achievable goals we must hit by 2015 to make this year the beginning of the end of AIDS.
As aid agencies warn more than 9 million people could be affected by a food crisis in East Africa, world leaders are failing to keep their 2009 promises to tackle the causes of chronic hunger and support farmers in the world's poorest countries.
Sen. Coons meets UDel ONE members
