Waco Reporter

Central Texas College issued the following announcement.

Central Texas College (CTC) recently announced its student Net Impact team was recognized as one of the nation’s top programs raising awareness and engagement on America’s growing fiscal challenges. During the eighth annual “Up to Us” Campus Competition, CTC Net Impact was ranked among the top 10 teams in the country based on its innovative campaigns created to draw attention to fiscal awareness and building a sustainable economic and fiscal future for America.

“Up to Us” is the only nationwide, campus-based campaign focused on building a sustainable economic and fiscal future for America's next generation. It empowers students to educate peers on our long-term national debt, how it could affect their economic opportunities and what our generation can do to have a voice in raising awareness of our fiscal challenges. The finalists and winner of the 2019-2020 Campus Competition were determined by their ability to engage their peers, use of creative strategies, social media efforts and overall impact of their campaigns.

CTC Net Impact’s “Up to Us” efforts were led by Annalies Stewart, Net Impact president, and Tavarus Durgin, “Up to Us” project leader. Prior to spring break and the COVID-19 outbreak, the team hosted information tables and contests to promote fiscal sustainability. Team members also canvassed the campus taking awareness surveys and seeking pledges. “The pledges were signed statements by students agreeing to be more fiscally sound in their spending,” said Chastity Clemons, CTC business professor and faculty advisor for Net Impact. “In addition, the pledges served as a plea to our state legislators to be more watchful of government spending on behalf of our students. The signed pledges were then sent to those legislators.”

Also, early in the spring semester, Net Impact organized the game “Debt Feud” based on the television game show Family Feud. Teams of students competed to answer questions about the economy and national debt. Then during the pandemic, the team hosted a virtual debate centered on ways to lower the national debt and other virtual events to generate dialogue and educate the public on building a sustainable economic future.

As a top team in the “Up to Us” campaign, CTC Net Impact received a $1,000 cash prize and was invited to join students from other top teams for a series of three virtual events where they will be recognized and hear from several speakers including Michael A. Peterson, CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and Sheila Bair,19th chairperson of the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

“Our goal was to increase awareness of the national debt, our nation’s economy, the future of that economy and make these topics more relatable to students,” said Clemons. “Students and people in this generation need to be more aware of the consequences the national debt could have on their future and the future of this country. Our team members were very creative in developing activities to reach their peers and educating them on the importance of fiscal sustainability.”

CTC Net Impact is one of 74 teams across the nation participating in the competition. Other participating schools making the list of top Up to Us Campus Competition finalists included Texas State University, the University of Colorado, the University of California-Davis, Concordia College, Northeastern Illinois University and Yale University.

Photo: CTC students ponder the question on the national debt before buzzing in while playing Net Impact's "Debt Feud."

Original source can be found here.