Location
Iowa State University
Solutions
Sectors
As a member of the Iowa State University (ISU) consulting pool, Bolton & Menk had the honor of working with the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) administrators and student vice president, university staff and students, and other stakeholders to design a space to pay tribute to their NPHC program. The NPHC is an organization that includes nine sororities and fraternities committed to ensuring equitable outcomes for African Americans due to racial isolation on predominately white campuses.
This project was initiated as a grassroots effort by students who were passionate about creating a space that helped them feel celebrated while providing a sense of belonging. The NPHC Plaza, dedicated to recognizing the Divine 9 and their value to ISU, was designed to be the largest of its kind in the Midwest.
To ensure we developed an equitable process, we combined our design expertise with the community expertise of Watch The Yard, the largest digital platform for Divine 9 content globally. As a highly respected member of the NPHC community, Watch The Yard produced a high-quality stakeholder engagement and outreach video to communicate the goals and vision of the NPHC Plaza. The project’s initial public launch in December 2020, via social media, resulted in nearly 100,000 views.
An equitable process is culturally and historically relevant and creates space for all parties’ interests to be heard and valued. This was made possible through an open channel for all stakeholders to express their ideas, wants, and needs—creating a space that represents the history of the NPHC program.
