On Friday, December 4th, the Barger Leadership Institute celebrated its 2020 Capstone teams at the Capstone Watch Party when the four funded teams presented the work they completed over the past seven months. The SIFT Collective team aims to create an eco-fashion marketplace by establishing a universal sustainable fashion standard, closed-loop ecosystem, and integrated partnerships to reduce textile waste generation while increasing the accessibility of sustainable fashion. Co-collab created meaningful experiences that foster human connection by developing engaging workshops and art installations for U-M undergraduate students. 3 Degrees breaks down the challenges that pose barriers for U-M students to lead more sustainable lifestyles. Blueprints For Pangaea, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit medical surplus recovery organization that provides sustainable solutions to inefficient health care resource distribution, developed an inventory app to help expedite the inventorying process for their donated medical supplies. The achievements and perseverance of each team are significant, and a testament to the acts of leadership playing out on campus and throughout the world during these unprecedented times.

Unlike previous years' Capstone Showcase event, The BLI was unable to host a formal in-person panel and poster fair event due to the restriction of in-person events and students leaving campus early in the semester. At the Watch Party, a select number of honored guests had the opportunity to watch team presentations and engage in a live virtual discussion with the team members about their project research and implementation.  

In addition to the Watch Party, The BLI wanted to offer their community of students and supporters an opportunity to explore the teams' stories and experiences within the Capstone program. Impeded by budget constraints and not being able to be in person, they challenged their staff to envision how they could use technology and harness relationships to provide a novel experience for the community.

As a result of that challenge, the BLI presents the Capstone 3D Gallery, an innovative virtual experience to view the Capstone teams' presentations and further explore their projects, examine their posters, and engage with other materials that support their work. They invite guests to wander around, watch the team presentations, read about their problem-solving in the A3 posters and further delve into their websites.

The Capstone Gallery is powered by Saganworks, an immersive 3D technology that helps businesses boost traffic, increase retention, and keep viewers engaged with their content for longer periods of time. Simply put, they are 3D solutions to everyday problems. BLI is delighted with this new partnership and the ability to reimagine the way they share their leadership programming. 

Explore the 3D Virtual Gallery Here