5 Things to Know About the Social Impact Initiative

If you have seen the Miss America competition on TV or if you are considering competing, you may have heard of the required Miss America platform, or what has now been more suitably named, the Miss America Social Impact Initiative. Because titleholders work to make a social impact during their year of service, this is a wonderful change! But other than the paperwork instructions provided to contestants, most of what is known about the Miss America Social Impact Initiative is learned by word of mouth.

​In this blog, I would like to share with you a culmination of what I’ve learned for all you beginners, and even those of you who are curious. If you are thinking of competing, here are some key things to help you start!

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5 Things to Know About the Miss America Social Impact Initiative

By Kathryn Kueppers

1. Your Social Impact Initiative (SII) should be about something you have real passion for.
This may seem obvious, however there is a fine line between simply caring about an issue and actually being passionate about it. You need to be able to speak from the heart about your SII. My brother told me, “your initiative should be about Miss America, because you never stop talking about it!” Gotta love brothers, because he did have a good point! One test for your social impact initiative is that your family and friends already know why you chose it before you even have to explain it to them. 

2. Your Social Impact Initiative should be easy to make appearances with.
You will be encouraged to make appearances related to your SII, like giving talks in schools; running a 5K for your cause; or organizing a group of people to volunteer (like Feed My Starving Children). The point is that you find opportunities for public appearances to advocate or educate. Make sure you have an idea of what you can do with your SII before you dive to it!

3. Discover a way to make your Social Impact Initiative unique to YOU.
This is your initiative. You can advocate for an existing organization like The Autism Society, The America Heart Association, Alzheimers Association etc., if you have personal experiences or a deep passion for that issue. A friend of mine created her own platform on Advocacy for the Arts. She is an opera singer and she adapted her love of opera to create her initiative 'Reviving Classics in Our Youth.' This was a creative and personal way for her to make a general social impact initiative her own.

4. You need to have a hand in writing your Social Impact Statement
The Social Impact Statement is a one page paper explaining your initiative; why you chose it; why it matters; and what you will do or have done for it. If you haven't written one before (or even if you have) it's always a good idea to get help or have someone start you off with a first draft. Make sure at the end of the day your Impact Statement reflects you!

5. A bad Social Impact Initiative won’t break you, but a great one can make you.
You aren’t judged on your SII, but the judges will ask you about it! It’s a great way to showcase your personality and motivation. This is why it’s vital that your Social Impact Statement is unique and means something to you. A judge will remember an engaging platform, and that will make you stand out.
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Good Luck creating a fantastic Social Impact Initiative. The world is waiting to hear from you!