Last week, on 3 and 4 February, each member of the ALA community was tasked with exploring a new skill or project and creating a deliverable to share with the community in 30 hours.
During Do Something Cool (DSC), both students and staffulty take two days off their work to engage in a fusion of creativity and skill. Over the two days, during this initiative, implemented by the Center of Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) Department, the entire ALA community is tasked with dedicating their time and effort to creating and cultivating something “cool”.
Through the experience, the community gets to develop curiosity by exploring new things and broadening their interests, and finding the inspiration to create something tangible. It is also an opportunity to connect and to collaborate through shared passions across the community, and further fuel curiosity
After 30 hours, a deliverable is then shared with the community. This year, DSC was done differently as three different opportunities to Do Something Cool were offered:
- Individual project
- Creative group work
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration
Some incredible two-day projects were fashioned from these three categories – projects such as creating and decorating beautiful lamp fixtures, coding, facing a fear of heights and going zip lining, learning how to play chess and designing a treehouse as well as re-writing a mainstream rap song into a feminist anthem.
Young leader, Mario Tomar (Cape Verde), stated: “I liked the flexibility of DSC, to do whatever you want, wherever you want.” He said his favourite part of the two days was seeing the performances and seeing how other members of the community used their time. There were prizes awarded for each of the three categories, but it’s safe to say the Academy certainly “Did Something Cool”.
