League for Innovation in the Community College Spring 2020 | Page 18
LEADING THE ZEITGEIST
WITH CLUB Z
BY CARON SADA
T
he word Zeitgeist represents the spirit of the times
and the prevailing ideas and beliefs as society moves
forward. As we look to the new decade and beyond,
how can we lead the Zeitgeist on our campuses and better
serve our students, colleagues, and communities? Club
Zeitgeist, or Club Z, is designed to help bring about positive
organizational change while delivering student success
through experiential learning for students, employees, and
community members.
Available to any college campus, Club Z includes regularly
scheduled gatherings for Z Social Incubation and turnkey
initiatives such as the Z Achievement Award. Implementation
of the Club Z pilot at Paradise Valley Community College
(PVCC) in Phoenix, Arizona, has gained national attention for
student engagement, with more than 300 students earning the
Club Z Achievement Award.
The Z Achievement process includes students creating and
implementing a project individually or as part of a team,
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followed by the completion of ten reflective questions about
their experience. Students can engage in any type of project of
interest to them, such as service learning, civic engagement,
the arts, research, and social entrepreneurship. At PVCC,
students who complete the process receive an award
certificate and are eligible for additional prizes funded through
the Z Connect Program and Scholarship Fund.
In addition to Club Z gatherings and Z Achievement
Awards, examples of initiatives include Z Imagine Pitch (an
interdisciplinary pitch contest), Share Z Love (a recruitment
and exhibit event), Z-Imaginary Makerspace (a recruitment and
social incubation event), and Social by Design (an approach
to leading change initiatives for college administrators). These
activities are designed to give all campus stakeholders new
experiences that inspire innovation and entrepreneurial spirit
in action—the culture of a thriving makerspace even if we find
ourselves in a board room.