« Internship! | Main | Interested in Becoming a Graduate Student Instructor »
January 25, 2008
Student Projects - Part 1
I've gotten many questions about projects that students can participate while at SI to help build skills and experience. My response is usually there are TONS of things to get into!!
There are projects associated with your classes. I will include this list in Student Projects - Part 2 because I foresee this blog to be a long one!
There are university and professional organizations that encourage student projects. Some even provide funding for you. Here is a list you can check out:
GROCS
http://www.dc.umich.edu/dmc/grocs/
Here is the official summary from their website:
GROCS awards cash grants to student-initiated research projects that use digital media in an academic activity. Project teams must be interdisciplinary, and one project goal must be to enhance collaboration.
This is a super cool opportunity. Currently I think there are two or three teams that have a few SI students in each. This stat is super impressive given that only 4-6 projects are chosen to be sponsored annually.
Example project: Some SI kids (and of course a few from other schools to create an "interdisciplinary group") Are working on making the campus more accessible to blind students...I think through the use of RFID tags. Want more information? Get at me.
http://www.si.umich.edu/about-SI/news-detail.htm?NewsItemID=591">
click here.
For 2008, there are two -correction three!- SI teams that have been accepted into the competition. Both will be traveling to Florence, Italy to present their projects in April!
"http://www.si.umich.edu/about-SI/news-detail.htm?NewsItemID=630"> SI
News - CHI 2008
Will you be the next?!
CIC - Community Information Corps
Summary from CIC website:
The focus on practical engagement and community participation is something that sets the Community Information Corps apart from other student groups at SI. It is our belief that the best way to learn about the community is to get to know it - to get involved. With this in mind, members of the Community Information Corps have developed two focus projects, each providing participants with opportunities to engage community members. In addition to these focus projects, the Community Information Corps continually encourages participants to come up with new project ideas and suggest ways we might get involved. We realize that the possibilities for involvement are endless. But, if you have a project you want to see happen, CiC can make it happen.
This is lesser known but SI has some funding for projects under this banner as well!
Project to Connect North Campus
The powers that be in the UM hierarchy sponsored a competition last semester to come up with an idea (very little boundaries placed on what that idea could be) to create a fun and interesting event or thing (for lack of a better world) to help connect North campus with the rest of the university. (For those that don't know all of engineering and many of the art schools are located to the north of central campus...which is about a 15 minute ride on the shuttle. If you have friends in engineering or art & architecture for example you will rarely run into them on central campus or south campus for that matter).
Anyway, if your idea was chosen for this competition it would have been implemented and you may have helped work on it. Cant remember.
This opportunity was advertised via a mass email to all students.
The digression begins...
...Now it has occurred to me that I should explain this whole north central, south campus thing to you! Ok briefly...
North campus: Duh - north of Central or South campus and consequently its north of the UM Med facilities as well. Its pretty much the upper edge of campus. It houses the Comp Sci, Engineering, and Art schools. SI also has a presence up there...incidentally it is called...are you ready for this...SI North. Very spiffy. This is where the PhD students hang out and if your a Master's student - Thesis Option you'll probably be here too.
Central Campus: Where SI's main HQ is located. This is thee SI Master's student hang out. Be there or be square. Also located on central is the student union (Michigan Union), the B-school (Ross School of Business), the Law school, School of Public Policy, etc and a wealth of other buildings inhabited by undergraduate courses... of which...you will probably never see the inner walls... but I digress...
South Campus: Houses most of the sports facilities. So the Big House (Football...you should know that ;), Yost Arena (Hockey), Crisler Arena (Basketball), I know I'm missing something...anyway. Even further south of this is where the tennis and gymnastics athletes get there "sport" on. But sadly we don't give that area a name... lets call it Super South campus ;) ...again...I digress.
Ok back to projects!
Now these are just the opportunities that I thought of in this one blog session! Imagine how many you'd find if you were actually seeking them out!
I am including this project opportunity since it just popped up in my Inbox yesterday!
M-HEAL - Michigan-Health Engineered for All Lives
M-Heal is a student group dedicated to improving medical care in developing countries. One of their major activities is volunteering every other weekend at World Medical Relief (WMR) in Detroit. WMR is an 8 story warehouse where donated medical equipment and supplies are stored, tested and repaired before being shipped to developing countries all over the world. (These countries are only responsible for covering the cost of shipping)
M-HEAL has requested student help in developing a database for the WMR to help with inventory and allow representatives from the developing countries to view current inventory and make their requests online (currently they must come to the warehouse personally and browse the giant warehouse). Its an open invitation to participate in this initiative.
This announcement was also received via a mass student email.
Posted by krosalia at January 25, 2008 12:46 PM