Student-teacher teams must form a NEW partnership with a business organization (private rather than public enterprise preferred, but if public, it needs to be responsible for some impact on the environment) with the goal to enhance the environmental and economic health of their community. Using sequential steps, research, open dialogue and clear anticipated outcomes, craft a partnership project. Besides the students, school and business, this project may engage other organizations within your community. The proposed project should be innovative in that it leads toward a broader change in economic practice, especially as it relates to economic vitality and sustainability. Ideally, some or all of the proposed project should be implemented, or at least field-tested, prior to July 2005. It is preferred that all challenges be presented at the summit if teams can personally attend the event in Oregon.

Some guidelines:

1. Practice team equity at all times. This project is not meant to be dominated by either adults or students, but to cultivate a productive process from vision to formation to implementation to evaluation.
2. Smaller is better than overwhelming. Brainstorm possibilities with potential partners first. It is better to build understanding to work to solve simpler challenges rather than ones that require more capital and longer-term resources.
3. The business organization should be willing to financially assist students in their travel cost to the 2005 conference.
4. Empower students! As much as possible, allow them to carry out the project.
5. Document the project from concept to completion. (Take pictures, video, collect data, reflect on successes and challenges, etc.) This is as important as potential on-the ground outcomes.