Raising money and awareness for Dog Rescue Dunedin as part of a MANT252 project are, from left, Emi Jones, Aimee Caeser, Molly Ellis, Edie Bussell (with Fenchurch) and Emilee Wood. The assignment called on students to design a project that would benefit their leadership learning as well as the community.
What do you get when you ask Otago tauira to combine their passion projects with their uni assignments? You get MANT252 Developing Responsible Leadership. Laura Hewson finds out more.
Rescuing Dunedin dogs and helping the hungry are just two of the community-minded projects MANT252 students are working on this semester.
Senior Professional Practice Fellow Tracie Leckie, who is the Course Coordinator and academic lead of MANT252 (a management paper), says the social-action projects are pivotal to the course as they allow the students to grow their responsible leadership while also contributing something meaningful to community organisations.
As part of the project, students brainstorm things that are wrong with the world then research who in the community is already working to help in these areas. Tauira must then “be courageous” and reach out, suggesting a collaboration on an achievable project, she says.
“What makes this course really unique, and enables true active leadership development, is that there are no arranged placements or pre-organised projects for students to slot into.
“It is paramount that students are passionate about the social or environmental cause or issue that they want to put their energies towards improving.”
A poster created by MANT252 students who partnered with the Dunedin Night Shelter.
Tracie is always impressed with the range of projects undertaken, and this year is no exception, with students drawn to issues such as hunger, poverty, homelessness, animal welfare, elderly social isolation and mental health.
“Sometimes what’s needed is funds, other times it’s manual labour, or increased awareness of the organisation. The needs of our community stakeholders vary, and so, our social action projects seek to accommodate those needs.
“We are so very fortunate to have worked alongside dozens of wonderful community organisations who are often, time and resource poor yet deliver amazing outcomes to the public. They love the energy and enthusiasm that our students bring and love watching the growth of the students over the few short months.”
You can’t quantify nor underestimate the significance of these projects, Tracie says.
“Graduates of MANT252 learn that small ripples make large waves. They leave with a new understanding that anyone can be a leader, that any one person can make a difference.
“They just need to find a cause they are passionate about, surround themselves with like-minded people and be courageous.”
Dog Rescue Dunedin
Teaming up with Dog Rescue Dunedin was a natural choice for Emilee Wood’s group of animal lovers, she says.
“When we saw the amazing work Dog Rescue Dunedin does in the community, we knew we wanted to contribute.
“They step in when the DCC pound runs out of space, saving dogs that would otherwise be euthanised, and work tirelessly to foster, care for, and rehome them. Their impact on both the animals and the wider Dunedin community is incredible. Being part of that felt important to all of us.”
The project brief asked groups to choose a Dunedin-based stakeholder, design a project that would benefit the students’ leadership learning as well as the community, and show real collaboration rather than just being a ‘saviour’, Emilee says.
“Working with Dog Rescue Dunedin aligned perfectly because they already do so much for the community, but we could add value by creating a fundraiser that met their needs and gave us space to practise leadership, communication, and event planning.
“We decided to organise a raffle fundraiser for them, since they told us donations are essential to cover veterinary care, foster support, microchipping, desexing, and more.”
The group sourced prizes from Ōtepoti businesses, organised and promoted a stall on campus and applied to have a dog present.
“Our goal was to raise between $350-$400, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going directly to Dog Rescue Dunedin. After the day of the raffle we made well over our goal, reaching $600 – with more donations being made daily.”
This will save at least three dogs.
The next step will involve writing a final report, analysing what they’ve learned as leaders, and creating a presentation for both their lecturer and Dog Rescue Dunedin.
Emilee (in her second year of Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Management and Marketing) says MANT252 has been her favourite paper at Otago so far.
“It hasn’t felt like a normal paper. It’s felt like real-world experience – almost like an internship – with all the responsibility and satisfaction that comes with it. It feels directly connected to my future career because I can see how these skills will translate to the real world.
“I’d recommend this paper to anyone who wants to move away from only lectures and get a genuine taste of what the business world requires. It’s challenging, but the skills and experiences you walk away with are so valuable.”
The Bowling Club
Working on drop-off cabinets for The Bowling Club are, from left, Alyssa Fisher and Sophie Wells. The Bowling Club is a Dunedin eatery that provides low-cost or free meals to the community.
Scarlet Paterson, completing a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Economics, is part of a group working with The Bowling Club – a Dunedin eatery that provides low-cost or free meals to the community.
“As a class we brainstormed several ideas and "Ōtepoti Hunger" immediately resonated with our group. We were drawn to how kai acts as a fundamental connection builder within communities.
“This shared value led us directly to partner with The Bowling Club, an organisation that embodies this principle through its service to the city.”
As part of the project the group will be painting and decorating food drop-off cabinets to make the eatery’s donation stations more welcoming and visible in the community, she says.
“We would love to thank Mitre10 for sponsoring the paint and Progressive Plastics for creating clear casings for the cabinets – it wouldn't have turned out so perfectly without them. And also to Jackie and co from The Bowling Club – we are very thankful for this opportunity."
They are also creating a clear, easy-to-follow "how-to" guide and video on ordering a Bowling Club meal for someone in need and specifying drop-off zones.
“Our primary goal is to support The Bowling Club by raising awareness of their essential service. We want to make it easier for the community to engage with and contribute to their mission, ensuring they can continue to serve and support the people of Ōtepoti.”
This project is “invaluable preparation” for their future careers, Scarlet says.
“It’s taught me practical skills such as stakeholder engagement, project management, creative problem solving, and collaboration.
“Most importantly, it’s instilled in us the mindset that commerce and business skills can and should be used as a force for positive social change. This is a principle that I hope to carry on forward.”
Part of a group that partnered with the Putea Toutoko Student Relief Fund to raise awareness for student mental health are, from left, Josh Henderson, Zepher Shobayashi-Pryde, Jordan Booth and Kalani Grimwood. The group also raised money for the relief fund by doing a sausage sizzle, with help from OUSA.
More about MANT252
MANT252 Developing Responsible Leadership is an introduction to ethically responsible leadership with a focus on self-awareness of students' own values, strengths and weaknesses, and on developing skills through practical exercises and a social action project.
Find out more