Last week’s New College Challenge launch week brought hundreds of attendees to the New College of Florida campus. Students, faculty and staff (along with business, community and higher education leaders) engaged in community conversations about coastal, economic and social resilience. THE NEW COLLEGE CHALLENGE: What it means for coastal resilience. The series began with a kickoff brunch on Tuesday, October 25, under the bayfront tent. New College President Patricia Okker, Ph.D. introduced the crowd to the unifying, year-long initiative. The New College Challenge, she explained, was designed to bring together students, experts and leaders from top universities and industries who will work to address the challenges facing our region and the world today. Throughout The Challenge, New College will become a community incubator for brainstorming new ideas and solutions for the future.  And the launch of The New College Challenge—with its series of discussions about protecting coastal campuses and communities—could not have arrived at a more critical time. Less than a month ago, Southwest Florida experienced the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian, prompting locals to reimagine how to better safeguard against future environmental impacts.New College has already enlisted experts and design teams from Harvard, Yale, the University of Florida, the University of South Florida, Kean University, Syracuse University and the University of Miami to lend their unique perspectives.

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