LAFAYETTE—The 24 Hour Citizen Project funded four community projects in the event’s ninth year, held on Saturday, November 8 in Lafayette.
The 24 Hour Citizen Project started in 2016. The annual event invites teams to: “Dream It. Pitch It. Fund It. Do It.” To date, forty-two citizen-led projects have been funded and implemented over the years, for a total of approximately $187,000 in private funding.
Past projects funded include Krewe de Canailles, Musical Instrument Library (the M.I.Brary), BARE Walls, Sensory Safe Spaces, and Inclusive Prom. The Y Lafayette letters, crowd-funded in 2014, were the 24 Hour Citizen Project team’s first funded project and helped inspire the first event.
The five projects funded at this year’s event, held at Acadiana Center for the Arts, were:
- Team Global Bites — A one evening festival of flavors and culture from around the globe in collaboration with Festival International, UL and local international organizations. The team was funded $3,500.
- Team F.O.O.D. — This project will install solar power systems at Acadiana's existing food fridges and develop new compact, modular, storm resilient, solar powered community fridge and pantry units. The team was funded $3,700.
- Team 64 Squares of Lagniappe — This project aims to install outdoor chess tables in downtown parks, creating inclusive spaces for strategy, conversation, and community connection. The team was funded $3,500.
- Team Lafayette Kid News — This project will create a quarterly newspaper that is written by and for kids in Lafayette, ages 7 to 12. The team was funded $3,000.
- Team Certify Teens — This project will help teens earn certifications in CPR, ServSafe, and leadership. Focused on expanding access in underserved areas, the project equips youth with life-saving skills, job-ready credentials, and tools to lead with confidence. The team was funded $3,500.
Each year, Civicside – the organization that puts on the 24 Hour Citizen Project – launches a call for ideas from citizens in mid-June. The event leans on a nearly year-round effort to find and recruit projects, volunteers, partners, ideas, expertise, and funding in order to develop a “pipeline of promise” for citizens in the region, according to 24 Hour Citizen Project founder Butch Roussel.
Funded projects are required to report updates through “Dear Community” letters on a quarterly basis. The 24 Hour Citizen Project organization will mentor projects until completion. To follow project updates, visit 24hourcitizenproject.com .
Here are some photos from the event:
The Backers, who funded the projects, are Jubilee Development, Techneaux, Benoit & Evans L.L.C., Social Entertainment, William C. Schumacher Family Foundation, Advancial, Unitech Training Academy, Scott Eye Care, Home Bank, William LaBar, Junior League of Lafayette, and MGA Works.
About the 24 Hour Citizen Project: Operating under the nonprofit organization Civicside, the 24 Hour Citizen Project initiated in 2016 and has since been a launchpad for citizen-led projects. Fueled by citizen teams, local experts and private backers, the 24 Hour Citizen Project brings to life ideas focused on improving the community in which we live and work.
To learn more about the 24 Hour Citizen Project and previously funded projects, visit 24hourcitizenproject.com.
