Our own Charlotte Graves was one of the nine students chosen from a nationwide pool of applicants to participate in this year’s Project M.

If you don’t already know, John Bielenberg founded Project M in 2003. Excited by Sam Mockbee’s Rural Studio, John felt it was time to provide a similar opportunity for designers to contribute to the greater good. Project M’s mission is “to inspire young graphic designers, writers, photographers and other creative people that their work can have a positive and significant impact on the world.” So far, project M has designed projects in Maine, Costa Rica, Ghana, New Orleans, East Baltimore, and Alabama.

The projects themselves are very organic, growing out of the needs of the region where the group convenes that year. Participants learn to identify problems and solve them by thinking “wrong.” This year’s group is in Hale County, Alabama, collaborating with Rural Studio and HERO (Hale Empowerment and Revitalization Organization) to benefit the local community.

You can stay abreast of the project in daily detail by following the Project M 2008 Blog.

Charlotte, who is soon to enter her grad quarter here at PC, is just another exemplar of our students—extraordinary, and with their hands in everything.

I am so very proud of her.

H

Ps. Here’s a wonderful article on last year’s Project M, written by Portfolio Center writing graduate Alissa Walker (of Gelatobaby fame) for GOOD Magazine.

Pps. Last year’s project, “Oprah Has One,” won the Cause/Affect Judge’s Choice Award for design that makes a difference.

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