2008 Roots Fellows

Launched in the spring of 2008 in partnership with CLIF MOJO™, Focus the Nation created a pilot project for the Focus Roots Fellowships called "Project Slingshot."

The competition sought proposals for global warming solutions from 18- to 25-year olds around the country. Three applicants were chosen from the following categories:

• Outdoor fanatics protecting the places we love to play: Projects should be inspired by the need to protect our outdoor spaces such as mountains, rivers and oceans.
• Innovators challenging our expectations: Projects should challenge the status quo with new and creative thinking, and include an element to bring new thinking into action.
• Artists inspiring our communities: Projects should use the arts to increase awareness of or change thinking about global warming solutions.

The three 2008 Focus Roots Fellows each received $10,000 to use as a launch pad for their ideas. The submissions from Maya Donelson, Richard Graves and Jesse Hough stood out for their shared emphasis on youth empowerment, and because each was replicable and had a detailed and functional timeline. With the help of $10,000 and project support from staff at Clif Bar and Focus the Nation last summer, all three Fellows propelled their ideas into action.

Information on the 2009 Fellowship program can be found here.