Visionary Student Panel

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Visionary Student Panel

Since 2015, Mercer University’s Visionary Student Panel (VSP) program has empowered and equipped undergraduate students with the skills and resources to move their community engagement ideas from discovery to implementation. Through the VSP program, participants are challenged to answer, “How will you use your skills and talents to improve your community?” Accepted VSP applicants will receive mentorship, participate in the VSP showcase, and have the opportunity to receive mini-grant funding to turn their ideas into realistic and actionable projects.

Applications are currently open for the 2025 Visionary Student Panel. Learn more about the program below and click here to access the application. If you have any questions about VSP, email Lauren Shinholster at shinholster_la@mercer.edu.

Students interested in the VSP program must first apply and complete a brief interview via Zoom. If selected for the VSP program, you will participate in the VSP showcase on Tuesday, March 18 at 6 pm in Willet Auditorium. The showcase is an opportunity to present your VSP idea and receive constructive feedback from a panel of expert judges. In the weeks leading up to the showcase, participants will attend two mandatory virtual coaching sessions to aid in their development of a five-minute presentation about their selected real-world issue and their vision for addressing the problem at the local or regional level.

The 2025 VSP application will close at 11:59 pm on Sunday, February 2nd.

In phase two, VSP participants will use the feedback from the VSP showcase to refine their ideas and apply for mini-grant funding. With a funding range of $100-$1000, grant applicants should consider feasibility, their projected implementation timeline, and the long-term sustainability of their projects. Funded projects will be supported in the implementation phase from April 2025 to March 2026.

Students should apply to participate in the 2025 Visionary Student Panel by Sunday, February 2nd, 11:59 pm. Click here to apply!

Any type of project, from the creative and performing arts to engineering, is enthusiastically encouraged as long as it relates directly to a real-world problem. To see examples of past projects, review the list below.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Presenter slots are limited, so be sure to apply early.

VSP presenters will receive coaching to strengthen the development of their five-minute pitches. At the VSP showcase, students will address the following questions in their pitches:

What is the issue?
Why is this issue important to you?
Why should the rest of us care about this issue?
Is anything being done to address this problem?
What do you plan to do?

No awards will be given out at the event. Instead, students will receive both judge and audience feedback to help further develop their ideas. Participants who want to pursue funding from the Center for Engaged Learning will receive additional support via a grant workshop.

Expanding access to period products on Mercer’s campus
Establishing a college student voter engagement competition (SoCon Votes)
Producing a documentary about sexual assault
Hosting a Hispanic Health Fair for Middle Georgia
Hosting deliberative dialogue discussions for Mercer students
Mapping recycling bins on campus to increase awareness about recycling
Creating and delivering a curriculum for high school students to introduce them to current events and pop culture in the Middle East
Challenging the stigma around depression and anxiety with a fun run/skateboard/bike
Developing a student-led, peer mentorship program to support students with disabilities in their first year at Mercer (ABLE Mercer)
Establishing an on-campus food pantry
Produce a student-led podcast to support student success on campus (Real Talk Podcast)
Develop multimedia content to expand virtual LGBTQ sensitivity training (Rainbow Connections)
Promoting life skill development for Mercer students with adulting classes
Creating low-cost, custom orthotics for people with flat feet
Establishing structured, on-site programs/resources to promote relationship development between incarcerated parents and their children