Project Bridge is excited to expand beyond Johns Hopkins University and Baltimore, and now beyond the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the Denver metro region. If you seek to start your outreach or advocacy organization, and no such outreach or advocacy organization exists on your campus, we encourage you start a chapter of Project Bridge on your campus. We have the skills, knowledge, and experience to guide new chapters to success, while allowing chapter leadership to determine the best activities to meet your regional needs.
The mission of Project Bridge is accomplished by addressing one or more of the following areas: broad communication skills, public outreach, and science advocacy. Each event we host is designed to address at least one of these areas. The role of each affiliate chapter will be to organize events primarily at their home institution and within the surrounding community, developing partnerships with local groups as needed. Each chapter will have a designated institution representative that coordinates communication between chapters. State and National teams will serve as mentors and assist in coordination of statewide and nationwide campaigns.
Steps to becoming a Project Bridge chapter
Research organizations in the region that may have similar missions. Ensure that the creation of a new organization will not impede existing entities, and that future activities will be complementary.
Recruit allies to assist in the development of your chapter, including peers, co-workers, and faculty advisors. A group of at least three dedicated members is recommended.
Reach out to Daniel Pham, at [email protected] or [email protected], to discuss your plans to develop your chapter. Be ready to discuss the following:
Develop layout of leadership structure of the chapter.
Identify possible streams of funding. Have informal conversations with these program officers to understand the ease of accessing funding. Keep in mind that funding may take months to access, depending on their deadlines.
Develop a multi-year long-term vision plan, describing big-picture goals for the chapter. Include the problems you are looking to solve with the formation of this chapter. If possible, identify any local or region-based problems.
Develop a 1-year short-term action plan with possible events that will be hosted. Be as detailed as possible. Include estimates of cost, locations, materials needed, timeline and attendance.