It’s time to prepare for your Finalist Day! Below you’ll find the following information:
Information about our Rise Finalist Drop-In Sessions
An example of your Finalist Day schedule;
The items you need to prepare for Finalist Day, including a presentation; and
Information on how you will be evaluated.
If you have additional questions after reading these materials, check the Frequently Asked Questions section.
Throughout May and June the Rise team will run several Finalist Drop-In Sessions on Zoom. Join us at the Sessions to learn more about the Journey to Finalist Day, the materials that you need to prepare, and to test your video and audio connection.
Try this time zone converter here to make sure you log in to your correct local time.
You can sign up by clicking the links below:
MAY
13th Friday 4pm (UTC+1) time (Africa/Europe/Middle East)
13th Friday 11pm (UTC+1) time (Americas)
19th Thursday 4pm (UTC+1) time (Africa/Europe/Middle East)
20th Friday 11pm (UTC +1) time (Americas)
27th Friday 9am (UTC+1) time (Asia/East Asia)
June
1st Wednesday 10pm (UTC+1) time (Americas)
9th Thursday 9am (UTC+1) time (Asia/East Asia)
15th Wednesday 10pm (UTC +1) time (Africa/Europe/Middle East)
You will participate in one of the Finalist Days during a weekend in the month of June. The day will last approximately 5 hours and include a series of individual and group activities over Zoom.
You will receive your full Finalist Day schedule and Zoom joining link in your email inbox with your assigned date and time 1-2 week(s) before your Finalist Day. The Rise Team will be in touch if you've told us that you need to reschedule your Finalist Day
Below is an example of what your Finalist Day could look like.
Example Schedule:
Welcome to Finalist Day (30-45 mins)
Activity 1 (60 mins): 4-Minute Individual Presentation (Evaluated)
15-minute break: Stand up and stretch!
Activity 2 (60 mins): Group Activity (Evaluated)
15-minute break: Grab a quick bite to eat!
Activity 3 (60 mins): 20 Minute Individual Interview (Evaluated)
Finalist Day Concludes
Whenever you are not participating in an activity—for example, if you’re waiting for your scheduled interview—you will have the chance to hang out in the main Rise Zoom room. We’ll be hosting games and mindfulness activities, and you’ll get to know the Rise Team and other Finalists! Note: Participation in the main Zoom room is not evaluated and does not affect selection.
If you have questions about your assigned Finalist Day or if you did not receive your schedule, contact finalists@risefortheworld.org.
By May 31, make sure you have completed all of the necessary forms and preparation materials. You can use the Final Checklist at the end of this Handbook to ensure you’ve completed all of the items. This includes setting up your technology and testing your Zoom functionality!
During Finalist Day, you will be asked to present a 4-minute presentation about yourself, your brilliance, and your passions in the way you feel represents you. You will present in front of a small group of other Rise Finalists and Activity Evaluators over Zoom. Please ensure that your prepared presentation is 4 minutes or shorter. The facilitator will time you and will ask you to stop at 4 minutes exactly.
Your presentation can take many forms, such as a traditional talk, a creative performance like a poem or song, or any other method of delivery that represents who you are and your talents best. Please avoid using digital tools including PowerPoint or video clips.
Your presentation should be wholly accurate, a fair representation of your story and talents, and delivered in your own words from your own perspective. No external help should be provided in the creation of your presentation.
You will have 4 minutes to share on one of the following topics.
You will find out on Finalist Day which topic you will have been selected to present, so please be prepared to present on all of the three topics below:
What inspired the focus area in your Rise Challenge Project? What were your main reflections or learnings from the experience?
What was the most challenging aspect of executing your Rise project? How did you overcome it? Where did you learn/fail?
What was your favourite phase of the Rise Challenge (focus/research, design/plan, act/reflect) and why?
Remember, we are looking for evidence of the Rise Traits (explained in more detail in the Evaluation section below) when preparing for your presentation.
As part of the Finalist Day, you will meet with two experienced selectors for a 15-20 minute interview. This is a classic interview where the interviewers will aim to get to know you better. Below is a list of possible questions that you may come across and could already prepare for. You will be asked some questions that do not feature in this list.
How would others describe you?
What is the hardest challenge you’ve faced?
Define integrity - what does integrity mean to you? Where has it surfaced?
Describe a time you had a positive impact on someone.
Who inspires you? Why?
Talk about a time when you needed to resolve a conflict at home or school.
Tell a story of a time you persevered against all odds and what that taught you.
Talk about a time that you solved a problem.
What skills come to you naturally?
What do you hope to achieve in the next five years?
How do you connect with others that have similar passions to yours?
Briefing information for RISE.pdfThroughout the Rise application, we’ve been looking for the five Rise Traits—and the Finalist stage is no different! The Activity Evaluators and Interviewers will be looking for these traits throughout your Finalist Day. They’ve been given a copy of these exact same descriptions, so everyone is on the same page.
Have a look at the Rise Traits below:
Brilliance
Brilliance is multi-faceted. An applicant may demonstrate brilliance through grasping new concepts quickly and thoroughly or making connections between disparate information and spotting patterns. They may demonstrate brilliance through curiosity, creativity, extraordinary problem analysis, and/or solving skills. Brilliance can also be exhibited in social interactions: seeing issues from multiple perspectives or identifying skills in others and making use of them or by finding intelligent ways to bring people into agreement.
Perseverance
Perseverance can mean overcoming obstacles...
Showing adaptability, working hard to find solutions or opportunities where others would have given up. It is learning from defeat and coming back with a new approach or fresh resolve. It is seeing the end goal and being willing to do the tedious and painstaking tasks to get there. It is digging deep to achieve an outcome.
...or continuing on despite them.
Some obstacles cannot be overcome and must be endured - highly persevering applicants show remarkable resilience and endurance; where others would have given up, they are still going. They manage their own frustration and have been able to continue under adverse conditions and to move forward through circumstantial resistance. They dig deep to keep going.
Integrity
Integrity means possessing a strong moral compass that is considerate of others. Applicants with high degrees of integrity have an internal behavioural code that they adhere to, even at personal cost, and they also expect others to adhere to it. Their thoughts, decisions, and actions are aligned, and they may come across as courageous in their refusal to bend their morals in the face of public pressure. They are sincere, authentic, and trustworthy.
Empathy
Empathy means being attuned to others, humble, and self-aware. Empathetic applicants seek to understand first and to be understood second. They desire connection and create bridges across cultures and experiences. They are concerned about the wellbeing of others, and may even absorb or take on others’ feelings. They see people as individuals and seek to include and draw others in.
Calling to Care for Others
An applicant with a calling carries a sense of urgency about their passions and goals that is both evident and catching. They inspire others and are able to draw others in to follow them toward their goal. They are personally dedicated and committed to their ideals and direction (deeds as well as words), and their thinking and planning evolves over time. They care about something in an “off the charts” way and have the tireless motivation to achieve it. They are able to see past current limitations and circumstances to imagine, plan, and execute an end goal.
