STUDENTS ADAPT AND WIN CASH PRIZES IN ANNUAL COLLEGIATE COMPETITION
Young Adults Show Resilience as the Project Managers and Project Leaders of the Future
GRAND RAPIDS, MI: THEProject is the 9th annual collegiate project management competition hosted by Western Michigan Project Management Institute (WMPMI). While undergraduate and graduate students from 6 western Michigan colleges and universities were preparing their final THEProject plans to present to a live panel of judges in April, COVID-19 had other plans for the students and this year’s competition. The students didn’t let that stop them!
As Michigan implemented a “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order at the end of March, teams from Cornerstone University, Ferris State University, Hillsdale College, Grand Valley State University, Michigan Technological University, and Western Michigan University were able to rapidly adapt to all-virtual collaboration in order to finish and submit final presentations under new and unusual circumstances. But it’s that ability to pivot in the face of changing conditions that makes a successful project manager, and this real-world challenge gave everyone involved in THEProject 2020, from competitors to mentors to judges, the opportunity to shine.
This year’s competition scenario is to create a project plan to launch a new School of Project Management, including selecting the program’s curriculum, hiring academic faculty & administrative staff, and addressing any other activities in order to meet the established project deadline. Each team was paired with a PMPⓇ (Project Management Professional) certified mentor to guide the students and help transform their solutions into a comprehensive project plan using processes documented in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOKⓇ Guide).
THEProject engages students in the practice of project management, develops their leadership abilities, and provides them with opportunities to demonstrate those skills with business and community leaders from western Michigan. Teams were judged on their use of proper project management techniques, the quality of their solutions, and their ability to craft a written project plan. Although COVID-19 prohibited teams from presenting before a live panel of judges as in years past, WMPMI would like to acknowledge and applaud the dedication and perseverance of all of our student competitors who rose to the occasion!
- 1st Place - $599/Student - Academic Architect Associates, Western Michigan University
- 2nd Place - $400/Student - Diverse Urbanites, Western Michigan University
- 3rd Place - $300/Student - PM Back to the Future, Michigan Technological University
- 4th Place - $250/Student - The PERTfect Team, Michigan Technological University
For more information about THEProject 2020, including a comprehensive competition booklet and all of this year’s winners, please visit WMPMI.org or email
About WMPMI: WMPMI was established in 1993 to support the project management profession. The chapter began with about 100 members and today we have over 1,000 active members throughout the west side of the state, ranging from as far north as the U.P. and all the way south of Benton Harbor. The organization is run completely by volunteers, supported by sponsors, and holds several educational and networking events each month. Annual events include an all-day educational Professional Development Day and THEProject, a collegiate project management competition. Learn more about WMPMI and the project management profession at WMPMI.org.