This past month, REI Systems’ very own Sasha Burgener, a leading member of the people services team, had the opportunity to participate as a judge in the Loudoun Youth Step Up competition. The competition sought judges among local businesses with a history of valuing the commitment and efforts of students in their communities.
The students ranged from 6th- 12th grade and comprised roughly 70 teams. The students were rated on 4 criteria: issue analysis, solution quality, community impact, and presentation. The ideas ranged from traditional donation collections to apps and leveraging AI. With these projects alone, more than 200,000 hours of community service have taken place! In April the winners will be announced at an award ceremony. The 1st place team receives $1000 to put towards their project, 2nd place $700, 3rd place $400 and the other teams will receive $200.
Last year, REI Systems hosted the Loudoun Youth Leadership Program at our Sterling Office, where students were given the opportunity to meet with a panel of REI Systems leaders, including our CEO Shyam Salona.
