The Student Conservation Association (SCA) hosted its second annual Alumni Engagement Week (AEW) from September 21-26, 2020. The week was full of exciting opportunities to engage our network of 95,000 alumni, partners, friends, and more. SCA community gathered, virtually, to support conservation, network, and have fun!
To kickoff the week, over 30 alumni gathered for a Virtual Happy Hour on Monday, September 21 to play SCA trivia, win swag, and share member experiences. The highlight of the evening was the surprise arrival of SCA’s founder, Liz Putnam! She welcomed all to Alumni Engagement Week. Click here to view Liz’s Intro video!
The next day, Tuesday, September 22, SCA hosted Giving Day, which raised almost $60,000 from 585+ donors from all 50 states and DC (more gifts came in after we finalized the infographic below)! Throughout #SCAGivingDay, alumni and ambassador leaders supported SCA through social media posting and peer-to-peer fundraising. Alumni posted fun social challenges including Love of our Lands and SCA Family is Forever. It was inspiring to see so many alum stories pour in to support SCA’s mission of creating the next generation of conservation leaders.
Then on Thursday, September 24, SCA hosted the Unconference, a participant-driven, informal gathering, featuring panelists alum Grace Anderson, SCA executive team member Barbara Gonzalez-McIntosh, alum CJ Goulding, former SCA staffer Chukundi Salisbury, and alum and current SCA staffer Chris-Michael Tena. The night began with a group contract and then a quick ten-minute introduction and “spark talk” related to Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) from each panelist. The floor then was opened for questions and thoughts from participants including topics of SCA’s national role, steps moving forward toward greater JEDI, and how volunteers can support organizations. Over 20 alumni, staff, and partners joined the speakers in thought-provoking conversation.
Next, on Friday, September 25, SCA hosted “SCA Now” with our president and CEO, Stephanie Meeks, and SCA alumna, Natalie Mebane. More than 50 alumni, partners, and supporters joined them. The hour flew by as Stephanie and Natalie discussed SCA priorities and how 2020 is impacting the organization’s work. See the video of this event here.
To wrap up the week, SCA celebrated National Public Lands Day with a Virtual Day of Service on Saturday, September 26 in partnership with NEEF, Google Earth Education, and AllTrails. Nearly 80 alumni, staff, partners, and friends joined this online event to help support the planet. The day consisted of four sessions including social distance hikes, alumni mentorship lunch & learn, map making with Google Earth Education, and eco-scavenger hunt.
Alumni Engagement Week was chalk full of intriguing conversations, calls to action, and alumni networking. SCA is grateful to all staff, alumni leaders, partners, and supporters that helped to make this great week happen. Mark your calendars for next year, September 20-25, 2021!
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