At the California Institute of Technology, the turtle pond is a central and beloved space on campus. Home to a variety of turtles, including the famous softshell turtle known to all as “Pancake,” the ponds offer a place for of solitude for the Caltech community to enjoy nature and relax. In collaboration with the student-led Caltech Turtle Club, the annual giving team hosted the first ever “Shell-ebration” of the turtle pond on Caltech’s 2024 Giving Day. The special event included a four-hour online livestream of the turtle pond for Techers to enjoy across the world, a special in-person feeding hosted by the Caltech Turtle Club, and an opportunity to engage online with trivia and unique facts about Caltech’s turtles. Two members of the annual giving team were responsible for the livestream, while the Caltech Turtle Club president and co-president organized the feeding and arranged for special appearance of the club members in handmade turtle costumes. The reaction from the campus community, both online and in-person, was outstanding. Non donors and lapsed donors were so inspired by the festivities, that many gave in support of Giving Day for the first time. One alumnus in the online chat for the event even mentioned that of all the communications and solicitations she received from Caltech, she was the most inspired to give by seeing the beloved turtle pond livestream.
From the Judges
Love the creativity and the idea of bringing a beloved aspect of campus to an online audience. Although other universities may not have a turtle pond, the creativity inspires others to identify something about their university that is important and popular with their community and replicate accordingly.
