ROC THE PROJECT
2025
ROC The Project is a competition designed to engage college students in the practice of project management and to develop their leadership skills. Student teams from colleges in the Rochester area are given a scenario for which they must provide a solution. We are focused on giving back to the community, so we are partnering with a local charitable organization as our customer to resolve a problem statement drawn from the challenges faced by them. This is an exciting opportunity for the charity to receive new ideas as well as our competitors experiencing a real-life project to manage.
- Teams are assigned a mentor (or mentors) to teach them how to transform their solutions into project plans using the planning processes documented in the PMBOK.
- PMO panels are established to judge and provide feedback for two iteration submissions before the finale.
- On the final event day, the student teams will present their project plans to their peers, the judges and the representatives from the charity.
This is an exciting time for Project Management as we pivot towards adopting agile methodologies as a global organization. This year’s program introduces and teaches proven Project Management methodology with exposure to agile concepts. Successful teams will include elements of hybrid methodology in their judged project plan submissions.
Nonprofits Wanted: Be the Featured Nonprofit Partner for ROC the Project 2025
PMI Rochester is looking for a Featured Nonprofit Partner for ROC the Project 2025, a collegiate case competition that connects students with local nonprofits to solve a real-world challenge.
Past partners include: the MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, AutismUP, and Coffee Connection.
The program runs Fall 2025. ROC the Project is a five-week virtual course for college students to develop project management skills and gain practical experience benefiting your organization.
We’re looking for a nonprofit with a manageable project, such as:
- A small fundraiser or awareness event
- A donor or volunteer campaign
- A marketing or outreach initiative
Students team up with mentor support, applying their knowledge of scope, schedule, and budget to the project.
This opportunity is best suited for projects that are meaningful, well-scoped, and scalable for student teams early in their project management journey.
Interested in being our next Featured Nonprofit Partner? Let’s connect.
To learn more or nominate a nonprofit, contact: Patty Fallone, VP of Outreach, PMI Rochester Chapter, at Patty.fallone@pmirochester.org
