What happens when 300+ students, educators, caregivers, and 15+ community partners unite for two days of hands-on service learning and empathy-building? Real impact!

“The world is not ok, is it?”

Keynote speaker David Begbie opened with this piercing question—setting the stage for two days of constructive, hopeful dialogue about how we approach service to support our community and make a lasting impact. From there, the energy never stopped!

The Highlights

Expert-Guided Impact

LeeAnne Lavender, our visionary moderator and expert on service learning, echoed: "We are here at ImpactGZ so that the world out there might be changed...This is just the beginning."

Student-Led Breakout Sessions

The true heartbeat of ImpactGZ! AISG student leaders collaborative discussions – from community mapping (identifying local assets and needs) to structured listening session that deepened empathy, peer exchanges to brainstorm solutions, and a dynamic design challenge and marketplace where ideas were prototyped and shared.

Learning Strands – 7 Hands-On Journeys

Students, teachers, and caregivers dove deep into experiential sessions: rescuing aquatic wildlife, advocating for animal rights, co-creating with neurodiverse peers, and more—each strand blending empathy with actionable skills. (And yes, Tintin the rescue dog stole countless hearts on campus!)

Partner Showcase – 15+ Changemakers

From mangrove conservators to rural community co-designers, our booths sparked awareness and action plans. Students connected with nonprofits, social enterprises, and advocates—proving collaboration fuels scalable impact.

Reflections That Moved Us

The reflection wall with prompts such as "Change Begins With...", “My ‘aha’ moment...”, “I made an impact by...”, and “The world needs more...” overflowed with insights. Here’s what stuck with us:

"Change begins with inclusivity."

"The world needs more driven, compassionate young people like the ones here today."

"Change begins with empowering youth to lead, to be passionate, and be determined."

"My ‘aha’ moment was realizing even small actions—like a kindness card for a hospital patient—create ripples."

Thank You, Strategic Partners and Schools!

This event was FREE and wouldn’t have been possible without our incredible collaborators. A standing ovation for:

What’s Next?

To every participant: Keep sharing how you’re applying what you learned! Tag us and use #ImpactGZ so we can cheer you on.

To every strategic partner & school: Let’s keep collaborating—our ImpactGZ Padlet is live with resources – check your email for the link!

To those who missed it: Mark your calendars for ImpactGZ 2026—whether you’re launching your first service program or scaling an existing one, next year, you’ll be part of the story.