Without question, projects make the world go ’round! Whether we find ourselves planning a long overdue vacation or relying on teams of scientists to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, the results hinge on understanding and applying project management. From the simplest undertaking to the most complex challenge, project managers must know how to identify their project’s scope and purpose, and execute that project on time and within budget. The PMI Educational Foundation (PMIEF) partners with the world’s leading youth-serving nonprofits – like Destination Imagination (DI) – to ensure young people acquire and practically apply project management skills that empower them as 21st century change agents.
The philanthropic arm of the Project Management Institute (PMI), PMIEF invests in high-quality organizations that deliver project-based programs to youth so they realize their potential and transform lives through project management. We know young people do projects all the time, but we want to make certain they know how to manage those projects. After all, project management skills are truly the life skills we all need to achieve our educational, professional, and personal goals. Each of us should possess strong critical thinking, effective communication, and expert problem-solving capabilities.
Moreover, the world is rapidly becoming more “projectized” as we demand – and expect – innovations that make life easier. Regional mass transit systems, online grocery shopping, and Web-based medical appointments… at the heart of each of these conveniences is a project (or set of projects). As PMI describes it, The Project Economy means organizations deliver societal value through successful project completion that profoundly impacts stakeholders.
Today’s youth lead by example, addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems. Strengthening their project management know-how only accelerates the good they do and the positive difference they affect globally. This is why PMIEF is pleased to collaborate with DI on two virtual Instant Challenges that help youth learn project management fundamentals through engaging, hands-on activities that bring those lessons to life.
All the world’s a stage in Virtual Remix, an Instant Challenge that requires teams plan and present two performances about managing a project. They must strategically initiate, plan, execute, monitor and control, and close their project as they work toward a solution. They must also integrate managing a project into their improvisational acting.
Cooperative Building brings the Burj Khalifa to mind as youth construct the tallest freestanding structure they can with a base as small as possible. Everyday household materials include paper, string, plastic forks, and pipe cleaners. This initiative exemplifies the power of teamwork as one young person silently builds while following their peers’ instructions.
Both Instant Challenges leverage DI’s new Instant Challenge Project Management (ICPM) tool, which helps youth learn and apply project management fundamentals in real-time. In fact, teams can leverage this tool for every DI Challenge.
Youth encounter projects just like their parents, family, and teachers, so knowing how to manage them is imperative. PMIEF is delighted to collaborate with DI so youth recognize, appreciate, and expertly oversee projects, both now and in the future. After all, undertaking life’s projects becomes much more doable when good project management guides the thinking and process necessary to do so.
