International #FreeHugs Day Recap
The Collegiate International Free Hugs Day was AMAZING! We had hug totals coming in via email, Twitter, text, Facebook, voicemail, and even pigeon carrier… Well, ok, the last one is a lie. But boy did you all hug early and hug often. Giving a Free Hug is the first step to developing a culture of […]
Sign Sabotage… [BLENDER EVENT]
While at University of Connecticut the other day, I came across the Sparta sign below, and it got me thinking about a new Blender Event related to the Keynote I wish I would’ve done at the ACUI6 conference. Imagine if once a year, all the student groups partnered with the maintenance people to creatively reconstruct […]
Logistics for the International Free Hugs Day (#FreeHugs)
It’s Almost Here! After one year of waiting, we are only two days away from the International #FreeHugs Day! We currently have 79 schools pledging 55,936 hugs. With some schools pledging from as far away as Egypt, this truly is going to be an international day of hugging. But the day is much more than […]
Utah State University Is Ready for International #FreeHugs Day [IMAGE]
While doing a Dance Floor Theory Training at USU, I noticed this on their events calendar and had to take a picture to share. If you haven’t pledged your group/school yet, there’s still time > http://www.swiftkickonline.com/free-hugs/
Chairs, Stairs, and Garbage Cans: Your Partners in Student Engagement
I recently keynoted at the ACUI Region 6 conference in Florida. For those unfamiliar, ACUI stands for Association of College Unions International. ACUI people are in charge of the physical student union space on campus. This can mean anything from hosting student events, to furniture, to vacuum cleaners. At larger schools, they often run entirely […]
Getting Over Yourself to Influence this Generation
Part of the intense facilitation/speaking training that I acquired through my three years working with QLN, was a deeper understand of their core tenets. Two tenets that still stick heavily with me today in the work I do with training staff, faculty, and administration on leveraging social media for increased student engagement are called, “The […]
Before I Die… [BLENDER EVENT]
Walls are usually a boring addition to buildings. However, with the right creative idea, walls can turn into something so much more. Artist, Candy Chang, converted a seemingly “dead” wall in a neighborhood into an engaging work of art that pushed people to think about themselves and their life. Meh –> Hmm. Campus walls are […]
Stop Marketing and Start Engaging
Yesterday I spent some time at Carnegie Mellon University visiting a former Swift Kick intern. As we walked through their beautiful University Center, I noticed many campus clubs with tables set up trying to solicit students to join their group. Every table was covered with reading material and a bowl of candy to entice students […]
Creating a Journey [BLENDER EVENT]
Car-Class-Car students are a known thing on commuter college campuses. Meaning, they go from their car, to their class, and back to their car again. In terms of outside-the-classroom engagement, this group tends to be the hardest to connect with. Watching the video below gave me the idea of what if you turned the CCC […]
Top 15 Steve Jobs Quotes on Education
Steve Jobs’ leadership has been well documented, but it wasn’t just about tech. He showed us that innovation, teamwork, and big ideas can come together in unique ways. Jobs’ secret was finding a balance between giving people the freedom to create and providing the structure they need to thrive. This approach pairs perfectly with our […]