Elevating the presence of Northwood’s mascot is the goal of the winner of this semester’s Project 100 competition, which awards $10,000 to a cause chosen by Northwood alumni.
Project 100 consists of 100 Northwood alumni, employees, and friends who gather once every semester to review three projects from campus groups requesting funding. The members each donate $100 and then collectively decide which project receives the funding.
“We had 10 student groups submit applications for the Fall 2023 round of Project 100, the most we have seen post-pandemic,” stated Stewardship Assistant Lauren Bennett.” This tells us that student engagement and excitement is high on campus this fall.”
This semester’s winning project was Woody’s Secret Society, a small group geared toward increasing the presence of Woody – Northwood University’s mascot – around campus and the local community. The project will enlist a team of students to play Woody on a regular and permanent basis during their careers at Northwood. In addition, the project will recruit three to five other students to serve as handlers, who help protect and direct Woody around crowds.
In addition to forming a team, Woody’s Secret Society will use some funds to create a special locker room for Woody. Other funds will be used to keep Woody clean and fresh.
Since its inception, Project 100 has funded over $140,000 to projects spearheaded by students on campus.
“One of the many things I love about this program is the learning that comes along with submissions. The students that do not win receive great feedback from our members and often apply the next semester with an improved project and presentation,” stated Julie Adamczyk, senior engagement and alumni officer for Northwood University.
Previous projects funded by Project 100 include:
Spring 2017 — Fashion Retail Software
Fall 2017 — Woody’s Wheels Campus Golf Cart
Spring 2018 — Timby Media Productions Equipment
Fall 2018 — Automotive Aftermarket Project Car
Spring 2019 — Student Alumni Network Outdoor Activities
Fall 2019 — Hospitality Enterprises Food Truck
Spring 2020 — Cancelled due to pandemic
Fall 2020 — Finance Association Event
Spring 2021 — NU Idea Center Podcast Studio
Fall 2021 — Two electric vehicle charging stations
Spring 2022 — NU Career Closet
Fall 2022 — I Hear You Project
Spring 2023 — Agua Access (new water-filling stations)
