re_action for impact programme
makesense x Laidlaw Foundation
A leadership-in-action opportunity for Laidlaw scholars to solve social and environmental issues through concrete actions!
re_action for impact is a 6-week full-time experience where 56 scholars will utilize the leadership skills developed through Laidlaw Foundation’s activities, learn the skills needed to become community mobilizers, and build concrete actions to tackle socio-environmental challenges in Summer 2024.
The program starts in July and ends in August, it will be a 6-week in-person program in Mexico City – Mexico, Lima – Peru, and Medellin – Colombia.
Choose your country of preference and register for this in-person experience generating impact alongside socio-environmental entrepreneurs, local communities and fellow scholars!
Early application is encouraged due to the programme’s limited number of spots!
Scholars will be selected on a rolling basis until the 56 positions are filled.
- Mexico: 26 scholars
- Peru: 15 scholars
- Colombia: 15 scholars
What you can expect from the re_action for impact programme?
Scholars participating in the programme can expect to apply and develop their skills in the following areas:
Selected scholars will utilize their leadership skills and further develop them by guiding teams of 10-15 volunteers in building concrete actions against climate change and social issues over the course of two weeks. Scholars will have to face the challenge of connecting with their volunteer team virtually and face-to-face to motivate them to successfully complete concrete actions while collaborating.
Scholars will serve as leaders of their teams and fulfill functions such as facilitating work sessions, assigning tasks, providing feedback, and measuring activities’ progress.
Selected scholars will receive training and resources from makesense on how to become effective community mobilizers. They will put in action these skills and become community mobilizers as leaders of their teams of 10-15 recruited volunteers. Scholars will have to communicate effectively, constantly employ their problem solving and time management skills, and be proactive in leading others towards taking action.
You will get to experience three of Latin America’s leading innovation hubs first hand. These cities face many challenges like climate insecurity and social inequalities. However, Mexico City, Lima and Medellin are thriving with social enterprises, NGOs and other third sector entities leading positive change with whom you’ll get to work alongside.
Through intensive research, scholars will become experts in some of the main climate-related and social issues in their countries. Afterwards, they will identify the impactful actions citizens can take to face those issues and connect with relevant local organizations to work with. Together with their teams of volunteers, scholars will build impactful concrete actions that respond to climate change and social issues.
Your Leadership in Action experience will generate real impact!
At makesense we see social and environmental challenges as complex systems. Fighting climate change requires reducing inequalities, while reducing inequalities requires a strong focus on climate change. Therefore, we have built an experience that
Each country will aim to tackle the following themes while allowing each scholar to explore her/his/their specific area of interest.
With more than 20 million people living in Mexico City, the negative impact of climate change can be seen not only on water and energy security or air quality. The basic social fabric of this city is constantly changing due to climate change. Join the Mexico experience to tackle climate change through a social development perspective.
With more than 71 indigenous ethnicities, Peru is a country that has learned the importance of building innovative approaches to engage, collaborate and include its native communities in all sectors. Join the Peru experience to build creative ways through which minority communities can be given better opportunities to prosper and preserve within their cultures.
Being named the most innovative city in the world in 2013, Medellin offers a great opportunity to explore new ways in which a society rebuild its values, integrate previously rejected communities and see culture as a path to bring peace. Join the Medellin experience to work alongside initiatives that gave this innovative city its reputation as one of the most socially innovative cities in the world.
Impact Data
106
Active volunteers completed the 2-week volunteering programme.
72.3%
Volunteer Retention Rate (versus average of 65% according to Americorps and 50% according to makesense re_action data).
6
Participating countries: Mexico, Canada, Ecuador, China, U.K., U.S.
50
Collaborations with NGOs and Social Enterprises.
The key to impactful concrete action
Selected scholars will receive support and resources from makesense throughout their time in the programme.
re_action for impact participants will be trained on:
the innovation methodologies behind re_action
strategies to become an effective community mobilizer
tools to trigger positive concrete actions
Utilizing the leadership skills developed through Laidlaw Foundation’s activities in combination with the tools and trainings provided by makesense, over the 6 weeks of the programme, selected scholars will:
- Conduct intensive research on issues related to socio-environmental challenges
- Build their own re_action programme based on makesense tools
- Ideate impactful concrete actions to socio-environmental challenges
- Become community mobilizers and promote the re_action programme within their communities to recruit participants
- Connect with NGOs, social enterprises, and youth-led organizations working on climate-related and social issues to amplify their impact-making capabilities
- Lead teams of 10-15 volunteers in building concrete actions over the course of two weeks
Apply now and join us to partake in this leadership experience and help tackle the most pressing socio-environmental challenges!
Register now!
Since spots in the programme are limited to 56 scholars, we encourage interested scholars to apply early.
Scholars will be selected on a rolling basis until the 56 positions are filled.
- Mexico: 26 scholars
- Peru: 15 scholars
- Colombia: 15 scholars
About re_action
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, makesense developed a global citizen mobilization and emergency response programme that utilizes the power of design thinking and community action to respond to the most urgent needs of the most vulnerable populations.
To date, re_action has mobilized thousands of citizens globally. Learn more about how and why re_action was originally created: makesense presents re_action
What can you expect about re_action?
“I enjoyed how the program pushed me beyond my comfort zone. I was able to work with a team, learn from a team and eventually lead a team. I gained a lot of leadership, time management, program planning and virtual facilitation experience. I will continue to use what I learned from my time at the programme, to positively impact the fight against climate change”.
– Saeeda
“Thanks to the re_action team, training, team sessions, and volunteers. The deliverable of the project, presented as a social media campaign, is the result of bringing together interests and passions with skills to empower myself and others to be part of the chain of reaction in leading change”.
– Raquel
“I believe the program taught me how to effectively lead a team and delegate tasks based on interest. It also showed me the ways in which team dynamics or plans may change and ways we can best adapt to a short time frame. Overall, it also taught me the effect of research and planning that goes into any organizing project”.
– Elina
Laidlaw Foundation & re_action
After a successful couple of years with the Laidlaw Foundation in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 that mobilized 104 scholars and 200 volunteers, we are seeking to develop a new re_action program to enable a new generation of scholars to contribute concrete actions and further develop their leadership skills.
Read the transformation of the Laidlaw Scholars
