The Good Mule Project, a University of Wyoming student-led initiative, will be hosting its annual conference this weekend.
Bobby Bailey, co-founder of Invisible Children, will be the keynote speaker at 5 p.m. Friday in the Education Auditorium. This event is open to the public.
The conference will be held from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at the Laramie Lincoln Center and will focus on social justice, diversity and sustainability issues.
The event will include speakers and breakout sessions on many topics, Good Mule Project Coordinator Jordan Kaul said. The conference is for UW students only.
The Good Mule Project is student-led and works to promote local, national and international social justice, diversity and sustainability issues at UW and throughout the community. It is funded by the UW Service, Leadership and Civic Engagement Office and was adopted as a program by the University in 2010.
Kaul said that The Good Mule Project wanted to increase attendance this year and hoped that by holding the conference for one day, instead of two, more people would be inclined to register. In the past, the conference has brought in about 50-60 students.
Kaul said that there will be a panel of speakers who will discuss the reasons they became involved, and that it will be a very moving experience.
The conference will “not only teach students about important issues” but it will also encourage students to “turn passion into action,” Kaul said.
The Good Mule Project website describes mules as being “known for their steadfastness in carrying out their jobs.” This organization aims to help push people in the right direction toward fighting for the causes that are important to them, and to help them become Mules.
Originally a recognized student organization, The Good Mule Project was started by Jenny Reese and Trent Mankowski. They wanted to provide tools for students that had a passion to affect change.
The Good Mule Project is run by a student coordinator, lead facilitator and a conference staff of other involved students.
Kaul said that the overall goal for The Good Mule is to “help turn students into engaged global citizens, who are willing to work to create change.”
Students can register for the conference on the SLCE website under The Good Mule Project tab.
