On Monday, October 8, Marymount University partnered with Accenture in a facilitated brainstorming and strategy session to design One Journey Festival 2019. This important festival is a large-scale celebration of refugee talents and contributions and will take place on the grounds of the National Cathedral in late June 2019. Marymount sponsored the inaugural One Journey Festival last year, and is proud to be sponsoring the festival again.
In addition to initial brainstorming and festival design discussions, Accenture junior consultants and Marymount students spent time crafting campaigns for specific components of festival marketing and stakeholder outreach. Feras Nabulsi, Associate Manager of User Experience Design, facilitated the brainstorming using design thinking, an activity that models what Accenture consultants do as part of their jobs. The students were able to develop their creativity, critical thinking, teamwork, and oral communication skills during this activity all while participating in this community event which supports both Accenture’s and Marymount’s mission and values.
Marymount’s Dean of the School of Design, Arts, and Humanities, Dr. Christina Clark, organized and participated in the event, and Catherine Wehlburg, dean of the School of Sciences, Mathematics, and Education, attended and participated along with Marymout’s students. Wendy Chan, Strategy Senior Manager for Accenture Federal Services and Health and Public Service, and One Journey festival co-organizer, proposed the event and arranged Accenture’s participation.
Dean Clark is working with others in the Marymount community to explore how faculty, students, and staff could participate in the festival and its lead-up events. This partnership and participation in the One Journey Festival engages fundamental Marymount values stemming from the mission of our founders, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (RSHM). From the founding of the RSHM in the 19th century, their mission has included serving those whose dignity is threatened and meeting contemporary needs such as empowering marginalized women and children. By highlighting the ways refugees contribute to society, One Journey addresses an important and urgent need of our time.
