UM-Flint to host policy pitch competition April 16 at Flint Farmers' Market

The University of Michigan-Flint Master of Public Administration program will host its second annual Policy Pitch Competition at 5:30 p.m., April 16, in the Ramsdell room of the Flint Farmers' Market. The event is free and open to the public.

Undergraduate and graduate students will present original, research-based policy proposals to a panel of experienced policymakers and community leaders from across the region. The competition challenges participants to move beyond identifying problems and to advocate for concrete, actionable solutions, then defend their ideas under scrutiny from judges with real-world governing experience.

"This competition brings students in front of policymakers to pitch real proposals for change," said Kimberly Saks, associate professor of political science and director of the MPA program. "This is quickly becoming a vanguard event for our program and is open to undergraduate and graduate students. Our goal is to showcase our students' policy-creation talent and boost their skills and confidence in presenting to external stakeholders.

"And, the Flint Farmers' Market, a landmark of downtown Flint, provides the fitting backdrop for a competition rooted in civic engagement and community-focused policy thinking."

Last year's inaugural competition drew a capacity crowd and featured a distinguished judging panel assembled with the assistance of former State Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich, who graduated from UM-Flint's MPA program in 2005. The event was praised for its strong community presence and for successfully bridging the gap between academic policy work and practical governance.

Students who participated in last year's competition described the experience as both professionally and intellectually transformative.

"I was hesitant to enter the policy pitch competition, but I am so glad I did," said Abby Wright-Geddes, an MPA graduate student from East Lansing. "The policy change I ended up researching has fueled a new drive to research the topic more, and I am using the same topic for a current research class.

"The event itself was a fun and educational evening. I loved hearing the other policy pitches and learning more about what changes my peers would like to see in our society. This event really showcased the amazing students at UM-Flint and their big dreams."

Another MPA graduate student, Jason Lesiewicz from Flint, appreciated the experiential learning and skill development the event offered him. "Participating in the Policy Pitch Competition challenged me to think more deeply about my preferred strategy for addressing a problem," he said. "I found new ways to communicate the options and how to weigh them against one another."

Ted Rippey, dean of the College of Arts, Sciences & Education, is looking forward to attending. "This competition is a beautiful illustration of how program-connected applied experiences link curriculum to career and equip students to put their education to work in their communities," he said.

Student presentations will be judged on a variety of criteria, including policy impact, feasibility, clarity of argument and quality of public presentation.