Want to go to a free concert? Are you involved in your community through volunteering? If so, keep reading, If not, keep reading anyway. NextGen, an initiative created by the City of Edmonton, is hosting a free concert to celebrate volunteerism in YEG called City Jam.
NextGen wants your time, not your money. They want to reward community leaders and builders of Edmonton that give their hearts and time. If you’ve donated 10-plus hours since August to the end of October, this is your lucky chance to party for free. With three bands and more entertainment, it’s one of the best things you can do for 10 hours of volunteer time.
You might be wondering what NextGen is about. NextGen began in 2005 and is made up of a group of volunteers working to retain and attract the next generation of thought leaders, creators and engaged citizens. Their focus is on the 18-40 demographic and consists of over 50 volunteers working with a variety of projects. One of these projects includes communicating generational needs to the City of Edmonton.
You may have heard of Pecha Kucha Nights? They are an interesting concept originating out of Japan. The idea is that people present on a topic, delivering content with slides at a rate of 20 images for 20 seconds each. The slides flow automatically while the speakers gives their presentation. The event can make for interesting learning. My favourite presentations have been on donairs, graffiti and I can’t forget the night ATB CEO Dave Mowat re-launched the idea for lighting up the bridge.
Another event is MEAET. It’s a self-funded micro-funding forum. What’s that mean? It means, guests pay for a ticket, they get a dinner and listen to pitches from entrepreneurs and innovators from the community. At the end of the evening a vote is cast and the winner walks away with the money raised from the ticket sales.
The NextGen team wants input from Edmonton’s next generation. But they also appreciate all the work volunteers do. If you are, like most students with more time than money and a big heart, this makes for an awesome trade.
– Joel Benitez
Image from Edmonton NextGen
