Kevin Carroll
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sport for a Better World Competition
I see a lot of opportunities here to “dimensionalize” your project. For instance, have you looked at using PV (participatory video – see the entry at http://www.changemakers.net/node/2578) as a way of telling your story?
Do you have a destination or website so non-cyclists can join the movement?
A few questions about your students: Is it difficult to get the two-month commitment from them? That seemed long to me. Also, do students train in advance to prepare them for the rigors of the road? You may want to look into Team in Training (http://www.teamintraining.org) for ideas.
Also, I thought you could provide more details about the Otesha play in your materials. Give people a picture of this interesting mix of sport and theatre.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for you feedback. The ideas behid PV video seem like a perfect fit for us. Thanks for pointing it out. A number of our alumni have made their own videos about the bike tour experience already, but we have been talking about supporting their efforts in a more formal way for awhile.
We have a website (www.otesha.ca) where non-cyclists can join the movement, as well as a book that people can read and add to (available to dowload and buy on the website). We also have another program called the Hopeful Highschool Hooligan Program where we train teams of highschool students (who don't bike to performances) to perform the play in their community.
To date it hasn't been difficult to get the two-month committment from our volunteers, in fact most of them report back that they wished that the experience had been longer. The two month period allows for team members to really work on their performance and advocacy skills while forming a tight community.
We do suggest that tour members train before hand and we provide them with a suggested training schedule. Most of our volunteers are new to bike touring, so before they get on the road we do our best to support them in preparing their equipment (and themselves!) for the experience.
Do you contact people later to encourage them to do the things that they said they would on their postcards?
Also, check out the Clif Bar Development CycloCross Team. These are some of the top young racers in the US (and the world) and they use their races to increase awareness of environmental issues and encourage action. They are really having an impact in the US.
http://sustainablecycling.blogspot.com/
http://sustainablecycling.com/
It would be fun to have a show at one of the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross events next year but it might be a bit out of your way.
Hi Catherine,
I hadn't heard about the Clif Bar Development CycloCross Team. It's neat to see that there is a push for sustainability in the bike racing community. Our cyclists tend to be far from competitve racers, but we have found that there is common support among two-wheeled communities so I'm sure a performance (if it is ever enroute) would be a lot of fun!
As for the postcards, we do track them and then send out an email 2 months after we receive the postcard. We ask the sender about what actions they are taking, what they found most impactful in the performance, and provide links to The Otesha Book as a follow-up tool. Most people respond to this e-mail with raving reviews, however a lot of the postcards we receive don't list a working e-mail address. We are hoping to develop an additional online postcard to try and increase the contact information that we are able to collect.
If youare in Portland you should check out another organization that we have worked with that runs a similar program: www.commoncircle.com
Hi Dana,
Thanks for your comments and interest in the Otesha postcards. They are some of our favourite decorations in the office and act as our proof that change is happening! We've received over 1,200 postcards from people all over the world. Here are some that we have received:
"Since seeing your presentation I have not driven my car in almost 3 months! It needs repairs and I have opted instead to use bikes and buses, thereby reducing pollution and saving lots of money. A very empowering presentation. Thank you!" - Sandy, 58, Nelson, B.C.
"Today, I bought a composter and set it up in my backyard. Also, I plan on saving my empty peanut butter jars (and ask my friends and family to do the same) to make toilet dams! I've also been taking staggered showers!" - Sandra, 16, Barrie, ON
We are planning on creating a publication that tells the stories of Otesha's impacts in the new year. I will be sure to link it to the application once it is completed.
I agree with others that this project has great potential and I am impressed with the impact that you have already had. I have a few questions that might help you improve your future impact. For one, I am not sure why the trek is the length that it is. It seems like you could have greater impact if you included more people , more often. Would it dilute your goals if you had these longer treks as well as shorter weekend rides (perhaps the rides could open and close with the play)? I imagine that you could have people sign up for short rides, and their fees could help sustain your organization as well as generate more money for more projects or funding for the longer rides. Right now, it sounds like you have to find people to participate who have interests in drama/acting and in cycling. Is there a way to tap the people who only care about one or the other and get them involved and collaborating? Doing so would possibly help you find additional funding sources and you could also see sustainability effects on drama groups and on cyclist groups (as well as on those who benefit from the play or from hearing about the project). This project seems to have huge potential for application in many countries (I see you are already spreading to other countries) and I am impressed with your unique offering. Great work!
Lisa
Lisa Jones Christensen
Faculty Commentator
UNC Chapel Hill
Thanks for your comments Lisa. Right now our tours are two months long so that participants have enough time to learn the play and to help solidify their sustainable living choices as a 'habit'. Some tour members have told us that the tours are too short!
However, I agree that some shorter treks would increase the number of people who could go on tour. We are trying to plan our first week long tour and open it up to participants over 35. Our goals for the tour will be quite different than our longer tours because participants won't have the time for extensive training, or even learning/creating a theatre piece. However we hope that the shorter program will introduce a different audience to bike touring, alternative lifestyles, and spreading the message and will act as a catalyst for future involvement. As you mentioned, we also hope that these shorter tours can generate core funds for the organization.
We have another program called the Hopeful Highschool Hooligan Program which taps into theatre groups in highschools and does not involve any cycling. However we don't have anything that taps solely into cycling groups, so we will have to think about that!
Thanks again for your comments and support,
Jessica
re: the theatrical side of your project - what´s the play about? Is there audience participation? Do you have writers/acting coaches in your team? Is rehearsing and developing playing techniques part of building Othesha teams?
Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Hi Jasper,
Thanks for your questions about the play.
The play is called 'Morning Choices' and features Careless Consumer, Hopeful Hooligan, Mother Earth, and a variety of live props. The 25-minute play connects global problems with everyday actions in a typical morning between 8-9am. With 6 scenes, moving from getting ready in the bathroom, getting dressed, morning entertainment, buying coffee, packing lunch, and getting to school, the emphasis is always on choice and our ability to have a positive or negative impact. Throughout these scenes, the actors use comedy and pop culture references to touch on issues such as climate change, fair trade, and over consumption in a hilarious and hope-filled fashion.
There is some audience participation, and there has been some experimentation with Augusto Boal, Theatre of the Oppressed teachniques, but the majority of performances are not interactive.
We don't have any actors or writers on our team, however most of our staff have been a part of performance teams in the past and we have had many theatre buffs lend their skills as volunteers. Team trainings focus on theatre techniques that we have learned over the years as well as creating a system to evaluate and continually improve each performance.
We will be posting a video of a performance online in the next few weeks so check out the website in the new year if you want to see a performance in action!
Inspiring video and exciting project! How many of those postcards have you received in the mail? It would be great if you could include a couple examples of how your presentations have made people change their lifestyles and behaviors. For example, that one person decided to sell his car because of your presentation! That is huge! Please include a few of these stories in your application.
Its great to see a sports entry with an environmental focus. I think that the Otesha project also relates to our upcoming competition with National Geographic addressing sustainable tourism. We hope that Otesha will consider entering that competition when it launches on January 30th. Keep up the great work!
Kevin Carroll
Changemakers Featured Commentator
Sport for a Better World Competition
I see a lot of opportunities here to “dimensionalize” your project. For instance, have you looked at using PV (participatory video – see the entry at http://www.changemakers.net/node/2578) as a way of telling your story?
Do you have a destination or website so non-cyclists can join the movement?
A few questions about your students: Is it difficult to get the two-month commitment from them? That seemed long to me. Also, do students train in advance to prepare them for the rigors of the road? You may want to look into Team in Training (http://www.teamintraining.org) for ideas.
Also, I thought you could provide more details about the Otesha play in your materials. Give people a picture of this interesting mix of sport and theatre.
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for you feedback. The ideas behid PV video seem like a perfect fit for us. Thanks for pointing it out. A number of our alumni have made their own videos about the bike tour experience already, but we have been talking about supporting their efforts in a more formal way for awhile.
We have a website (www.otesha.ca) where non-cyclists can join the movement, as well as a book that people can read and add to (available to dowload and buy on the website). We also have another program called the Hopeful Highschool Hooligan Program where we train teams of highschool students (who don't bike to performances) to perform the play in their community.
To date it hasn't been difficult to get the two-month committment from our volunteers, in fact most of them report back that they wished that the experience had been longer. The two month period allows for team members to really work on their performance and advocacy skills while forming a tight community.
We do suggest that tour members train before hand and we provide them with a suggested training schedule. Most of our volunteers are new to bike touring, so before they get on the road we do our best to support them in preparing their equipment (and themselves!) for the experience.
Thanks again for your comments!
jess
Pastor Mwandha michael.
Executive Director ,
I have a question and a comment.
Do you contact people later to encourage them to do the things that they said they would on their postcards?
Also, check out the Clif Bar Development CycloCross Team. These are some of the top young racers in the US (and the world) and they use their races to increase awareness of environmental issues and encourage action. They are really having an impact in the US.
http://sustainablecycling.blogspot.com/
http://sustainablecycling.com/
It would be fun to have a show at one of the US Grand Prix of Cyclocross events next year but it might be a bit out of your way.
Keep up the good work.
Catherine Humblet
Portland, OR
Hi Catherine,
I hadn't heard about the Clif Bar Development CycloCross Team. It's neat to see that there is a push for sustainability in the bike racing community. Our cyclists tend to be far from competitve racers, but we have found that there is common support among two-wheeled communities so I'm sure a performance (if it is ever enroute) would be a lot of fun!
As for the postcards, we do track them and then send out an email 2 months after we receive the postcard. We ask the sender about what actions they are taking, what they found most impactful in the performance, and provide links to The Otesha Book as a follow-up tool. Most people respond to this e-mail with raving reviews, however a lot of the postcards we receive don't list a working e-mail address. We are hoping to develop an additional online postcard to try and increase the contact information that we are able to collect.
If youare in Portland you should check out another organization that we have worked with that runs a similar program: www.commoncircle.com
Thanks for your support!
Jessica
Hi Dana,
Thanks for your comments and interest in the Otesha postcards. They are some of our favourite decorations in the office and act as our proof that change is happening! We've received over 1,200 postcards from people all over the world. Here are some that we have received:
"Since seeing your presentation I have not driven my car in almost 3 months! It needs repairs and I have opted instead to use bikes and buses, thereby reducing pollution and saving lots of money. A very empowering presentation. Thank you!" - Sandy, 58, Nelson, B.C.
"Today, I bought a composter and set it up in my backyard. Also, I plan on saving my empty peanut butter jars (and ask my friends and family to do the same) to make toilet dams! I've also been taking staggered showers!" - Sandra, 16, Barrie, ON
We are planning on creating a publication that tells the stories of Otesha's impacts in the new year. I will be sure to link it to the application once it is completed.
Thanks for your support!
Jessica
I agree with others that this project has great potential and I am impressed with the impact that you have already had. I have a few questions that might help you improve your future impact. For one, I am not sure why the trek is the length that it is. It seems like you could have greater impact if you included more people , more often. Would it dilute your goals if you had these longer treks as well as shorter weekend rides (perhaps the rides could open and close with the play)? I imagine that you could have people sign up for short rides, and their fees could help sustain your organization as well as generate more money for more projects or funding for the longer rides. Right now, it sounds like you have to find people to participate who have interests in drama/acting and in cycling. Is there a way to tap the people who only care about one or the other and get them involved and collaborating? Doing so would possibly help you find additional funding sources and you could also see sustainability effects on drama groups and on cyclist groups (as well as on those who benefit from the play or from hearing about the project). This project seems to have huge potential for application in many countries (I see you are already spreading to other countries) and I am impressed with your unique offering. Great work!
Lisa
Lisa Jones Christensen
Faculty Commentator
UNC Chapel Hill
Thanks for your comments Lisa. Right now our tours are two months long so that participants have enough time to learn the play and to help solidify their sustainable living choices as a 'habit'. Some tour members have told us that the tours are too short!
However, I agree that some shorter treks would increase the number of people who could go on tour. We are trying to plan our first week long tour and open it up to participants over 35. Our goals for the tour will be quite different than our longer tours because participants won't have the time for extensive training, or even learning/creating a theatre piece. However we hope that the shorter program will introduce a different audience to bike touring, alternative lifestyles, and spreading the message and will act as a catalyst for future involvement. As you mentioned, we also hope that these shorter tours can generate core funds for the organization.
We have another program called the Hopeful Highschool Hooligan Program which taps into theatre groups in highschools and does not involve any cycling. However we don't have anything that taps solely into cycling groups, so we will have to think about that!
Thanks again for your comments and support,
Jessica
Hi Jesscia,
re: the theatrical side of your project - what´s the play about? Is there audience participation? Do you have writers/acting coaches in your team? Is rehearsing and developing playing techniques part of building Othesha teams?
Jasper Nicolaisen
Free University Berlin
University Challenge
Hi Jasper,
Thanks for your questions about the play.
The play is called 'Morning Choices' and features Careless Consumer, Hopeful Hooligan, Mother Earth, and a variety of live props. The 25-minute play connects global problems with everyday actions in a typical morning between 8-9am. With 6 scenes, moving from getting ready in the bathroom, getting dressed, morning entertainment, buying coffee, packing lunch, and getting to school, the emphasis is always on choice and our ability to have a positive or negative impact. Throughout these scenes, the actors use comedy and pop culture references to touch on issues such as climate change, fair trade, and over consumption in a hilarious and hope-filled fashion.
There is some audience participation, and there has been some experimentation with Augusto Boal, Theatre of the Oppressed teachniques, but the majority of performances are not interactive.
We don't have any actors or writers on our team, however most of our staff have been a part of performance teams in the past and we have had many theatre buffs lend their skills as volunteers. Team trainings focus on theatre techniques that we have learned over the years as well as creating a system to evaluate and continually improve each performance.
We will be posting a video of a performance online in the next few weeks so check out the website in the new year if you want to see a performance in action!
Jessica
Inspiring video and exciting project! How many of those postcards have you received in the mail? It would be great if you could include a couple examples of how your presentations have made people change their lifestyles and behaviors. For example, that one person decided to sell his car because of your presentation! That is huge! Please include a few of these stories in your application.
Its great to see a sports entry with an environmental focus. I think that the Otesha project also relates to our upcoming competition with National Geographic addressing sustainable tourism. We hope that Otesha will consider entering that competition when it launches on January 30th. Keep up the great work!
Dana Frasz
Changemakers