How can we convince GCE students to engage in Soapbox?

 Soapbox has been a huge aspect at GCE that sets it apart from other schools. However, I noticed a severe drop in participation and interest in the program since last school year. At first, I attributed it to being online and staring at screens all-day as the driving factor, but with the return to in-person, it seems the lack of morale has persisted. 

For our core class, Social Entrepreneurship, we had to select an aspect of GCE and conduct a SWOT Analysis. It stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunites, and Threats. A SWOT Analysis is basically a method used by consultants to organize employee feedback in a work environment. We also explored how these needs are connected to the 'Tragedy of the Commons' and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. I believe these concepts are related to my Action Project because we analyze each individual's needs and see what opportunities can be made to reach those that aren't being met. Regarding its connection to the Commons, I believe we can see how people take the space Soapbox offers for granted. Since people aren't doing so, we deprive the interaction necessary for the space to be productive.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs says the five primary needs are Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, and Self-actualization. Soapbox offers people a platform to vent in a safe space with their peers; it also allows people to hear other perspectives or receive feedback. Because it is conducted in a communal space, participants should feel comfortable sharing amongst the community. 

For this Action Project, we had to interview two students, a member of the senior class and another GCE student outside of the course, and two faculty members. I asked them about Soapbox and their feelings towards the space, the strong suits, and how to improve it. Through conducting these interviews, I found the biggest perceived threats and opportunities we could be using the space for.

 

My first interview was with HP, a fellow senior. Here is what I gathered from our interview. 

SWOT Analysis with HP by KE, Jan 2022.

I sat down with DN, a junior class member, for my second interview.

SWOT Analysis with DN by KE, Jan 2022

My first staff interview was with HT, who's been at GCE for roughly 11 years. 

HT SWOT Analysis by KE. Jan 2022

The final interview I conducted was with KC:

SWOT Analysis Notes with KC by KE. Jan 2022.

Overall, I enjoyed conducting these interviews and hearing what people thought about Soapbox. I definitely see some consensus about the lack of student participation. I think GCE should look at the opportunities category and suggestions on encouraging students to engage in Soapbox more now and in the future. I think we could improve the functionality of Soapbox overall by letting Student Council oversee Soapbox and/or giving 'training sessions' or 'how to's for students to take inspiration on how to conduct their own Soapboxes. In the end, Soapbox is a uniquely GCE event, it is what sets us apart from other schools, and because no other school does it there is no structure or way to conduct that is right or wrong. Per Covid, the space was filled with people willing to start a conversation and there wasn't much prompting needed by teachers. I hope to see that sort of engagement return over time because if we lose the space like Soapbox then we are losing a part of GCE as a whole.