Initial Proposal (1000-1250 words ): Each team will identify and define a specific issue or problem related to social justice. Once the issue is defined, the team will propose an initial plan of action to address the selected issue. The sky is the limit, so get creative.

Please note that your team is proposing an initial plan of action, which you will develop more thoroughly in later team assignments. During this course, your team is not required to implement this action plan. Instead, you will continue to research your selected issue in order to develop a comprehensive action plan by the end of the course (comprehensive enough that your team would then have all the details and information necessary to carry out the plan successfully)

.Problem Definition:

1. This section should include initial research on the issue.
2. Which social, economic, environmental, or political problem has the team chosen and why?
3. Which communities and individuals, at both the local and global levels, are most directly affected by this problem?
4. How does the selected issue relate to at least one United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)? Be specific in explaining the connection between the team’s selected issue and the relevant SDG(s).
5. What are some previous efforts that have been conducted at the local and global levels to tackle this issue? Be specific in identifying these, including the actors (IGOs, NGOs, agencies, businesses, etc.) who attempted the efforts, and whether those efforts succeeded or failed. In essence, your project should not “reinvent the wheel” but advance existing efforts to address the selected issue/problem.

B. Action Plan Ideas:

1. This section should include initial research on the issue.
2. In general terms, how does the team plan to mitigate the selected issue?
3. Provide the team’s specific ideas and goals for the plan of action while justifying the plan with research. This plan should be clearly defined, detailed, realistic, and solution oriented.
   1. For example, is the team starting a non-profit? A business? An NGO? If so, why is this the best approach for their particular issue? Is the team focusing on a social media awareness campaign? Why is this the best approach for this particular issue?
   2. What resources would be necessary to implement this plan? For example, how much would your plan cost? How would you fund it? Will you require meeting space? Transportation? Technology? Be as detailed as possible.
   3. Are there local individuals, organizations, or community partners that your team could work with in order to implement your plan?
4. What would your team’s action plan add to the efforts of previous and/or existing initiatives that focus on the problem identified by your team? How does your action plan differ from these other initiatives?
5. How would your action plan advance the relevant UN SDG(s) identified by your team?
6. How does your team’s action plan reflect at least one of Lynn University’s Social Impact Pillars? Be specific in explaining the connection between the action idea and the selected Social Impact Pillar(s). [Lynn University’s Social Impact Pillars can be found on page 40 of the iBook].
7. Any social impact plan ought to include the perceptions and inclusion of those most directly affected by it. How will your team incorporate their knowledge and experience? How would your plan of action affect them?

C. Team Member Roles and Responsibilities for Team Assignments:

1. What steps need to be taken to complete the next team assignment (specific research, assignment preparation, etc.)? Overall, indicate how your team will work together in order to complete the next team assignment (including, for example, a schedule of team meetings, editing rounds, research sessions, brainstorm sessions, etc.).
2. Will team members have assigned roles? For example, will you designate a project leader? Which team member is responsible for submitting assignments? How will you ensure that each team member contributes equally to the project?
3. What are team member’s areas of knowledge (major, experiences, etc.) and how will these contribute to the team’s project?

D. Additional Requirements:

1. Clearly indicate how each team member has contributed to the project proposal.
2. References: At a minimum, a working bibliography of at least 8 sources should be included on a reference page. At least half need to be peer-reviewed scholarship. Include sources specific to the relevant local, regional, national, or global community. The team’s use of this research should be evident throughout the assignment.
3. Direct and indirect quotes from the required number and type of sources are expertly embedded in paragraphs, avoiding dropped quotes.
4. The proposal should use logically organized sections and paragraphs.
5. Format layout, citations, and references are in correct APA style.
6. The report is grammatically correct and written for an academic audience.