Say It Big
This is the inaugural year for Say It Big, an elevator pitch competition that showcases the impact of experiential learning in HDFS. Say It Big is designed to celebrate HDFS undergraduates’ experiential learning accomplishments alongside supporting them in refining their career development skills. This webpage provides information about Say It Big and will be periodically updated. If you are a student interested in learning more about Say It Big, feel free to bookmark this page and return to it as often as you like.
Say It Big is inspired by the exCITE talks competition at the University of Houston.
What is an Elevator Pitch?
An elevator pitch is a short, prepared speech that communicates the significance of an idea or experience to an audience that may or may not be familiar with the topic. Elevator pitches are often used in the professional/career space to introduce your professional self to others or to share your skills and accomplishments with prospective employers. For the Say It Big competition, the elevator pitch will be used in a slightly different way. Pitches should describe the impact of your HDFS-related experiential learning experience in no more than 3 minutes in length and accompanied by a single slide.
What is Experiential Learning?
Experiential learning consists of activities that involve learning by doing with opportunities to reflect on the doing (e.g., How did it feel? What did you learn? What will you do next time?). There are many opportunities for experiential learning at Purdue (see here) and in HDFS. Some HDFS-specific examples include field experience and practicum courses, internship, mentored research, student teaching, study abroad, service-learning, and more.
What is Say It Big Again?
Say It Big is the name of the experiential learning elevator pitch competition in HDFS. Any undergraduate student in HDFS is welcome to attend the Say It Big Introduction workshop to learn what an elevator pitch is, how to develop an effective elevator pitch, and how the competition will work. After this workshop, motivated students can apply to enter the Say It Big competition where they will deliver 3-minute speeches about their participation in experiential learning activities. The top pitches will receive monetary prizes with first place being a $500 prize!
Who is Eligible to Participate?
Say It Big Introduction Workshop
- Any undergraduate student in HDFS (major, minor, or taking HDFS courses) who wants to learn how to develop an elevator pitch is welcome to attend the elevator pitch workshop on Friday, September 13. Refreshments will be provided!
Say It Big Competition Practice Workshop and Pitch Rounds
- Any undergraduate student with a declared HDFS major who is currently enrolled for Fall 2024 at the Purdue West Lafayette Campus
- Student must have participated in an experiential learning activity during their time at Purdue. To qualify as an experiential learning activity for the Say It Big competition, the activity must be one of the following:
- HDFS practica and capstones (internship, student-teaching, mentored research)
- HDFS course service-learning projects
- HDFS course scenario-based learning (role-plays, simulations)
- Purdue undergraduate research with HDFS relevance
- Purdue study abroad with HDFS relevance
- Purdue on-campus experiences (leadership, employment, student-driven campus events) with HDFS relevance
- Student must attend all Say It Big workshops and then apply to enter the competition.
- Student must attend all rounds of competition and must be present to receive prizes at the final competition.
What is the Timeline? (Add these dates to your calendar now!)
- Friday, September 13 – The first Say It Big Introduction workshop will take place from 4-5:15pm in Room 121 in Burton Morgan (1201 Mitch Daniels Blvd). At this workshop,
- Students will learn how to construct an elevator pitch.
- Details of the pitch competition will be reviewed
- Refreshments will be provided!
- Thursday, September 26 – The second Say It Big Introduction workshop will take place from 3:30-4:45pm in Room 136 in Hanley Hall. At this workshop,
- Students will learn how to construct an elevator pitch.
- Details of the pitch competition will be reviewed.
- Refreshments will be provided!
- Wednesday, October 2 – The third and final Say It Big Introduction workshop will take place from 5:15-6:30pm on Zoom. At this workshop,
- Students will learn how to construct an elevator pitch.
- Details of the pitch competition will be reviewed.
- Refreshments will be provided!
- Friday, October 11 – The Say It Big Competition Practice workshop will take place from 4-5:15pm in Room 121 in Burton Morgan (1201 Mitch Daniels Blvd). Students whose applications qualify them to enter the competition must attend this workshop. At this workshop, participants will practice delivering their elevator pitch and receive feedback to refine it.
- Friday, November 8 – An initial competition round will take place from 1-5pm in Room 121 in Burton Morgan (1201 Mitch Daniels Blvd) to determine who will advance to the final round of competition. Students will register for specific time slots between the hours of 1-5pm.
- Friday, November 15 – The final public competition round will take place from 3-5pm in Room 121 in Burton Morgan (1201 Mitch Daniels Blvd)
What are the Prizes?
- 1st prize = $500
- 2nd prize = $250
- 3rd prize = $150
- People’s Choice = $100
What Should My Presentation Include (or Not Include)?
- A single Power Point slide is required for the Say It Big competition. The slide should not include any animations, transitions, sound, video files or movement of any kind.
- No additional props are allowed (costumes, accessories).
- Pitches should be delivered in speaking cadence (no poetry, rap, or song) and be no more than three minutes in length.
How Will the Competition Work?
The competition will have two rounds: a semi-private initial round on Friday, November 8 followed by the public final round on Friday, November 15. For the initial round, participants will deliver their elevator pitch to a panel of judges, the competition organizers, and possibly others. Top scorers from the initial round will advance to the final round of the competition on November 15. During the final round, participants will present to a panel of judges and a public audience including members from the wider HDFS community. The final competition round will be recorded to showcase the winners.
FAQs
What if my experiential learning was part of a group project or experience?
That is fine! Just focus on your specific contributions or experience while giving your pitch.
What if I cannot attend one of the elevator pitch workshops?
All workshops are mandatory to advance in the competition.
What should I wear to the competition?
It is important that you feel comfortable so you can focus on your presentation. Think about what makes you feel confident and what will help you connect with your audience. For example, you may want to dress like you are going to a job interview. Remember, no props.
How will judging work?
A panel of judges comprised of faculty, staff, and alumni will score each elevator pitch using a rubric that rates the quality of the pitch in terms of content, delivery, and audience engagement.