We’re thrilled to celebrate our two latest UrbanPlan Incentive Program Raffle winners – Cindy Ma & Shwetha Subramanian!

Why Volunteer? Hear from Cindy & Shwetha:

“Growing up I did not know what planning or development was, or the importance of civic engagement in creating resilient, equitable, and beautiful communities. UrbanPlan offers the opportunity to bring into the classrooms and to community groups a glimpse of how development works and the required collaboration and collective effort it takes from multiple stakeholders and professions to create the best solution (not the right solution, as there is no one right solution) for all members of a community. The conversations and decision making around trade-offs and implementation are real and the participants all get a front row seat to it. I love being an UrbanPlan volunteer and a steering committee member as it allows me to be part of a process that empowers youth to get engaged in civic issues through a hands-on exercise that also hopefully cultivates a new generation of planners, designers, and developers. It also provides me with the opportunity to continue to learn and connect with others about what is top of mind and important to them about their communities in a fun and interactive environment.” – Cindy Ma

“I was made aware of the UrbanPlan through a friend and fellow ULI member-volunteer who highly recommended that I participate, both for the amazing network as well as the incredible opportunity to engage with communities of future professionals and leaders. I was intrigued, but didn’t have the time to engage given professional commitments and other obligations. When the window opened up this year, I jumped at the opportunity to train and volunteer in several classroom sessions as a facilitator. The Urban Plan program is ingenious! It utilizes an-all-too-real mock development project to teach the complex process of planning and community development in a compressed timeline by engaging professionals to share their skills and experiences through a Socratic method of dialogue with program participants. It is a fun way to engage with young and curious minds and network with other professionals but the unexpected reward was the opportunity to brainstorm and learn from other points of view in a safe and collaborative setting. I highly recommend this to anyone who would like to expand their network of connections and develop a deeper insight into collaborative community planning.” – Shwetha Subramanian

Isis Bastet & Kathleen Kavanaugh share their experiences as previous raffle winners here.

Recognizing Outstanding Volunteer Contributions:
The UrbanPlan Incentive Program acknowledges the incredible commitment and passion our volunteer instructors bring to the program. We are incredibly grateful to all the volunteers who participated this semester, helping us empower participants through real-world simulations.

Rewarding Excellence:
Congratulations to Cindy and Shwetha for being our latest winners! We appreciate their dedication and hard work.

Join Us in Making a Difference!
Are you passionate about education and making a positive impact on future generations? We encourage you to learn more about becoming a volunteer facilitator with UrbanPlan! Visit our website at https://sf.uli.org/urbanplan-incentive-program/ to get involved.