Cablefax The Magazine - July 2015 - 14

2015 Top Ops Awards
MSO COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Bright Ideas STEM From Today's Youth
Bright House Networks
A vehicle that never needs to be refueled or recharged; using exploration
drones to venture great distances; software to help people
complete forms who can't see or read; a new design for a cast; a
watch that can revolutionize health care; and a new way to apply
eye drops (50% of us do so incorrectly).
These were the ideas of fi nalists in Bright House's inaugural " Bright
Ideas STEM From Today's Youth. " The students were challenged to
not only dream big but to mix their imagination with reality, as their
ideas also had to be practical enough to have a chance of helping
people and potentially creating jobs.
The practical aspect of the competition related to the endgame,
as the best ideas were presented to a judging panel of inventors
and entrepreneurs. And more practicality: The winner was given a
chance to work for 11 weeks with an innovation fi rm in NYC, which
meant the student got to experience taking the idea through the
various steps needed to make it a product.
And no pressure, the fi nals were fi lmed in front a studio audience. The six
fi nalists, some were teams, others were individuals, received a four-day,
all-expenses-paid trip to Orlando to prepare for and appear in the fi nals.
Each of the MSO's service areas had the chance to send a student(s)
to the fi nals. Winnowing it down to 6 teams was tough, as 123 teams
submitted proposals, with more than 1,600 votes cast online.
Like most companies, Bright
House has limited funds for community
activities, so it chooses
causes carefully. It conducts research,
asking subscribers what's
important to them. Bright Ideas focuses
on two issues subs felt were
critical: Increasing participation
in STEM fi elds and keeping local
FAST FACT
Fast Fact
uEach year Bright House supports some 500 local charitable
organizations and causes in the communities it serves.
economies growing through job creation. Bright Ideas also fi ts squarely
within the MSO's mission statement of supporting its communities by
making resources available to schools and youth; preparing the next
generation of leaders; and engaging youth in after-school programs.
Another wrinkle is that while the ideas in the competition certainly
are STEM-enabled, they are not necessarily limited to STEM, says
Kimberly Maki, corporate VP, corporate communications & PR. Bright
Ideas " also encourages interest in STEM by students who may not
traditionally be in STEM classes, " she adds.
And it took a village to pull off the inaugural program, Maki says.
" Our corporate communications team provided program leadership,
and our fi eld team worked directly with the community to engage
students and educators, " she says.
Bright House's marketing and event teams helped plan and execute
the fi nalist pitch events, and senior executives contributed advice
and coaching to student participants. A slew of employees volunteered
for various jobs. There also were formal " Friends of STEM "
agreements with 69 local organizations and community groups, says
Reinaldo Llano, director, corporate community relations. Educators
were critical, too. Teachers encouraged students to join and incorporated
Bright Ideas into their curricula, Llano says.
While the ideas were great, the memories generated might be better.
Maki's favorite moment was " seeing the fi nalists cheering each other on
as they took the stage. " Llano concurs: " We had the opportunity to see
the students grow, learn and refi ne their pitches over the course of four
intense days. "
Next year? Planning already has
begun. The goals are to double applications
and expand the number
of community organizations, Llano
says. Now those are great ideas.
- Seth Arenstein
14
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