The great strength of this concept is identifying a wiling and talented labor/creative force to inject energy and enthusiasm into community based projects. So few academic programs (design/engineering and otherwise) integrate hands-on, real world experiences, which are invaluable for testing potential career paths and interests, as well as providing an understanding of the full lifecycle of projects, beyond conception. The interdisciplinary aspect (both in terms of involving students from a variety of majors, and providing the students the opportunity to interface with professionals from a number of different fields) also provides essential problem-solving and collaboration skills.

From the numerous links posted here and elsewhere, it’s nice seeing the trend that community engagement is making its way into curriculums. Students certainly bring to the table the opportunity for out-of-the-box ideas and innovative solutions, with the right guidance and support. I’m echoing others in reiterating both that the human resources are appropriately valued—by ensuring both professional respect and expectations—and that they are provided enough process and structure (toolbox, curriculum, TEDx-like foundation) to succeed, and implement.

And in that vein, the piece that could be pushed on most moving forward is funding. Grants and crowdfunding are definitely interesting virtual/viral means to capture dollars, but I might argue that the projects would be that much stronger if the resources come from the community. Local business investment is one way to go, and/or the problem of sourcing local money could be a piece of the project—teaching valuable development skills for any business (or other) major.

Also, kudos on the suggested integration with other concepts in this forum—such a great way to see the flexibility and scalability of the ideas building off one another, and really making a lasting impact to restore community vibrancy.

Congratulations Amanda, great concept - I can't wait to see what this might become!

I love this idea because, as a student myself, it is so easy to see the appeal and easy implementability of this concept. I'm a student at Duke University, and phrases like "civic engagement" and "service learning" are such buzz words on campus. In fact, some organizations have already tapped into the collegiate sector with campus chapters -- for instance, we have a Duke chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which provides housing for low income families in the local Durham, NC area by sponsoring a house every year and providing an endless supply of student volunteers to help construct the home.
I think Amanda's idea really takes this campus chapter concept to its logical conclusion by generalizing it and extending it across an entire city.

I know a lot of my engineering and aspiring architects friends would absolutely love to be a part of something like this. And I also agree with previous posters that we don't need to limit it to engineering/design students only, either. Bringing in students from a broader variety of (still relevant) majors like environmental science/engineering, public policy, economics, etc would certainly add a valuable dimension to the brainstorming/building process.

This is a great idea because I know from personal experience that it works.

Students have all the attributes required to make a quick impact. As a matter of fact they may be the only ones who have all the variables in place.

1. They usually have more time available and less personal and family obligations than professionals so they can give more...
2. The still have that natural hunger to learn and to grow.
3. They need interesting project subject matter for their classes, projects, thesis etc.
4. They are less molded and usually more open to new and innovative solutions.

it's win win for all!

I really like this concept. I'm a student at the University of Michigan and it's always exciting to hear about ideas like this. Many many people here care deeply about the city of Detroit and opportunities and partnerships between the U and Detroit's growing fast. I'm involved in both the sustainability and entrepreneurship movements at my university, and those two themes have by far been by far the fastest growing areas of the university. Not surprisingly, these two things will be big in cities like Detroit, where there is an opportunity to redesign and rebuild. There's a whole lot of opportunities here. Examples include the sustainable neighborhoods course (http://www.graham.umich.edu/education/detroit.php) and a recent startup called Get Fresh Detroit that came out of an entrepreneurship practicum at UM.

Hi Amanda,
just came back on the platform and delighted to see your concept among the 20 selected for evaluation. Thanks for mentioning me in your virtual team and glad my comments were useful.

I still really like the idea and I've been thinking of how that could be implemented in the context like NYU-Poly. As I already mentioned, I think getting the support of the administration (navigating it is not always easy) and finding a way to implement it maybe in the context of an internship might be the way to go.

If you want to get people to develop in various schools and cities, you might want to have a tool box on what you need to start it up, maybe even a syllabus / curriculum. I thought the example of the design corps at Pratt was great because there was a mix of projects and reflection / coaching. Developing such a model with a structured curriculum, some specific tips and guidelines would increase the chances of people trying to replicate it in their universities.

Also you mentioned engineering and design, and as other people suggest, I think it could include more disciplines. Maybe also building on multi-disciplinarity could be a way to attract more students (and faculty) but also to provide broader range of skills for the community projects.

cheers,

al

Very cool idea, Amanda. I've just been reading about an idea like this by Victor Papanek in his book "Design for the Real World" (http://www.treehugger.com/sustainable-product-design/victor-papanek-a-rebel-with-a-cause.html), but it would be great to bring it to life in Detroit and other cities. The positive power design and engineering students could have if they were enabled to tackle problems and issues in their own cities and communities would be huge, and it would be a shame for cities not to recognize it and start benefitting from it. Like others below, I agree that this could apply to all fields - students and volunteers from any perspective and with any skills could have a great impact. Organizing this effort would be a great help to cities and could certainly have huge potential for thriving local vibrancy.

Here are a few other thoughts that came up while reading through your concept:

- students will experience satisfaction and rewards of doing work in their own communities and may decide to take careers locally along the lines of some of the projects they worked on - no "brain drain", more civic-minded students-to-professionals, beneficial to local government offices and agencies who might even invest in this as a way to recruit talent after graduation (good comment by Kate Gillette)

- I'm a big fan of HCD process for evaluating problems, conditions and circumstances and driving toward best possible actionable solution(s)

- be sure to bring students into the process of investigating problems or even identifying them themselves, as well as concepting and executing projects. If you give them enough time - multiple semesters and years, they'll benefit from doing all the real-world work it takes to bring a project to life, and maybe even evaluate, refine and relaunch a second, better version. Students don't often get to be a part of the process beyond handing the concept to "grown ups" who may or might decide it's worth pulling the trigger on. Enabling the students as fully capable professionals, with resources and professional guidance to help them achieve success and the highest standards will not only benefit them, but the community as well. Don't let anyone cop out because "it's just a student project" - make sure this is the real deal. (Susmita added a good comment along these lines)

- some high schools (like mine) require a minimum number of hours of community service throughout the year - this could count for that while also being an introduction to different vocations and potential majors in college - the project could be framed as helping high school kids try on different jobs with the added benefit of benefiting the city and communities

- sponsored projects - where a company, organization or governmental program of some kind wants to engage students to work on a challenge for them for a semester - have been a good model at the Art Center College of Design, and at other schools, I'm sure. The sponsor pays the school and helps structure and support the students' work. There's a good chance they could want some students' continued participation in carrying ideas forward--as volunteers, interns or new employees after graduation. It involves multi-disciplinary teams and has similar qualities as an internship though it's a studio-type class in school. There's nothing saying that it couldn't involve more interaction with the sponsor, even meeting at their offices or in the field with even more exposure to what it's like to work for that sponsor.

Hi,
I think this is a very well thought out concept. It clearly shows that you've spent time considering different areas that are essential to implement this idea. I just finished collaborating in a university project, which also involved engaging students and it was very successful.

I agree with Anne-Laure Fayard however that you should consider getting students from different backgrounds, and not just Engineering and Design, giving insight into fields that they might not be as aware of.

As a whole however, it sounds like a very interesting concept, good luck!

This is a good concept, Amanda. I think it would be great to push this idea past voluntary student groups and encourage universities to integrate service and problem solving into their curriculum. One key advantage here is that universities have incentives to support their local communities: they want strong applicants, well-trained workers, safe and stable neighborhoods, and so on. Why couldn't certain courses - whether in political science or industrial design - incorporate practical challenges based on community problems? This would benefit the broader community, get students working on practical problems, and increase the university's community engagement.

This is good idea of engaging students in community work ,which mutual beneficial. Putting virgin brains to work will really bring fresh perspective to whole work.But the challenge is to establish a well tested process for the seemless executionbecause routine turn-around of students is high.

The activities should be process oriented so as to make scalable , just like How McDonalds employ students ..

Well done - I really like this..particularly how you saw opportunities to weave in some of the other ideas that have come up on this platform (ie: love the ZipSpaces idea!). My main concern would be in the implementation of any of these initiatives. I'm a grad student right now, and sure enough, the "real-life" cases that we get to work on/consult for are tackled with a lot of energy and creativity. However, the implementation of a lot of our ideas is often the most challenging aspect because it's typically someone else tasked with making our designs a reality.

I appreciate that you try to mitigate risk with encouraging the partnerships with local academics and local businesses. I think it might be helpful to really highlight a model where the stakeholder "client" would be a local business or government to ensure ownership of the project - so the local "expert" would be linked in throughout the process and keep in mind the implementation feasibility of it all.

I really like this and think it's completely feasible. It reminds me of a design centered nonprofit architecture (bc workshop) firm that worked in the community where I last worked. The types of partnership are so great for exposure, in two ways I feel. The more partnerships a community/community center/nonprofit can cultivate, the better exposure for their mission. Also, I think it's really important for young adults, or hopefully even younger individuals, to be exposed to the tough issues facing their city and begin to own and solve those issues as well. It can be life altering, in the best way possible-at least it was for me! Great concept!

Great idea
I also recommend having a look at University of the Neighbourhoods in Hamburg Wilhelmsburg. http://udn.hcu-hamburg.de/wordpress/?cat=17 (only in German though... check out their Summer School for an overview in English http://udn-hcu-hamburg-iss2011.blogspot.com/)

Amanda a great concept! The minor program International Entrepreneurship & Development from the Delft University of Technology has build a site were all the projects of their students worldwide can be followed. In all of these projects students are working together with the local community. http://dce.youngzaphod.org/ This website might be an inspiration to implement your concept around the world.

This is a great idea that has a lot of potential to improve the city. Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is another school with a project aspect to the curriculum, where third year students have an opportunity to engage in a community project, usually overseas in a location such as South Africa, Thailand or Namibia. A project center coordinator locates sponsors for individual projects, typically a local government department or an NGO. An example of some projects can be seen here: http://wp.wpi.edu/capetown/

Of course, students could do projects volunteering or for university credit; if a source of funding was established, however, a seasonal internship program could be established to encourage students to work on solutions to community problems even while class isn't in session. Many students are unable to find internships in the summer months, and spend their time unemployed or working jobs that do not utilize their technical problem-solving skills that they have developed in college. This would allow young engineers to develop professionally through first-hand experience and also create a local supply of engineers, which would improve the long-term sustainability of the city.

I wonder if this could connect to a points or badge system see "buy local, connect local) to encourage merchants to support local student projects - they provide some resources; students run the project.

I wrote something similar, I think the two ideas can "merge"

This project could be part of the energy behind achieving the:

http://www.openideo.com/open/vibrant-cities/concepting/change-a-space-over-night-/
and the
http://www.openideo.com/open/vibrant-cities/concepting/opencity-bringing-open-source-princi/
What a great source of people to make it happen! It only takes one person to "Start a movement!"
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

Hi Amanda, congrats on this great idea making it to our Top 20! As we go through this Refinement phase, let's build things out a bit more and get creative. How might we expand the vision of this concept to go beyond what's already happening and consider what tools, resources, or support this kind of initiative might need to grow?

As a university student, I'll say that this idea is not only simple, but has huge amounts of potential! Keep in mind that students studying a whole array of subject areas could benefit from community projects.

Obvious subject areas include engineering and design, but students from fields like education, social work, history (museums and local history awareness!), public relations, fine art, etc.

The first step is getting something started within the administration. Many majors have a senior level design project or in-field experience classes. An initiative could be created that would ask/challenge universities and departments within universities to make a commitment to getting students engaged in community projects.

Luckily, administrators, professors, and students are usually all community members that can see/experience project results every day!

This is so great because I know that as a college student, I am always looking for different opportunities to apply my skills. Not to mention, it's incredibly easy to contact different school organizations of interest, students of a particular major, etc. and amp up some hype for the program! Great idea!

Dear Amanda, its a nice concept , which would help not only the community but will train the students to connect to realities on ground. you might want to check about this management college called kaos pilot in Denmark, where the graduates are left to deal with peculiar situations /sites/ and come up with business models.

hey Amanda,

The thought of merging academia and the 'real world', as you've put "practical experience in their discipline to succeed" is such a good way to unite a community. While studying at Pratt years back, I took a course called "Design Corps" (http://designcorps.pratt.edu/) that delivers communications design solutions to local non-profits. Thinking about a brief, presentation importance and how to show design process in an understandable way are some important take aways from the class. Similar to Design for America, but DS' perk is how interdisciplinary the projects are. Really neat.

With that said, check out this concept: http://bit.ly/rJn3Bx

I was thinking about how beneficial college role model figures could be to bridge the gap between elders and youth in a cultural center-like atmosphere as in the link above, where there is just as much learning as teaching.

Mentor figures for all ages are so important in growth and optimism, especially for youth. I could see college students coming in and guiding the youth while partnering with tourists and local elders. Setting an educational example of, "Hey, keeping working hard and you'll be in college next, mentoring the next generation, as I am". College students' expertise could be matched up with youth by interest, whether art, architecture, science, history, etc. Maybe if the youth are consistent in their work with the tourist cultural center, they can get a day tour of their mentor's college. So many opportunities to build and connect. Looking forward to your thoughts!

Great stuff, Amanda! Perhaps you'd like to build out this idea specifically for this concepting round – beyond pointing to existing initiatives? What would you like to call it, how would you like to structure it? Might you engage students beyond these disciplines to include students of business, performance, town planning, hospitality etc? Feel free to update based on collaborative comments from the community. Would be great to tease out more detail given we still have 27 days for concepting.

Tip: to activate links in your post, hit the Update Entry button up there on the right, then follow the instructions here: http://bit.ly/oi_link

Cool! Glad to see this is already happening at some schools. Service learning is the best kind. Hopefully part of the initiative involves the students speaking directly with community members about needs and suggestions.

I also had a similar idea, inspired by Studio H, to employ local high school students in these kind of projects. http://www.openideo.com/open/vibrant-cities/concepting/challenge-students-to-re-purpose-public-spaces/

I love this idea. If students solve real social problems in the society, they will gain confidence. If the project is really hard or expensive to solve, ask companies to support.

I think this is a great idea and i would agree that throwing in the mix business students might provide some idea if certain projects are viable. An international perspective would also be interesting to see - makes you think outside the box! An easy way to start this would be with an online platform that universities can use to promote collaboration in entrepreneurial classes, or as an assignment of their core courses

I love this idea (as someone who is teaching a Design For Social Change course to design and non-design students: http://www.ecuad.ca/programs/courses/CEID/390/S001

Here's something that might hold interest for you as you look to build this concept out: http://www.designigniteschange.org

Our school is a member and it provides some good inspiration and tools to help engage schools in the process.

Completely agree. Design students bring enthusiasm and fresh perspectives that drive projects forward.

I also have seen that as students see the effect they have on their community, they seek out more opportunities to be a part of something meaningful.

Great starting point Amanda! I definitely agree that there is alot of design/engineering talent that could really make some exciting impact.

One of the things that I'd love to see more in college campuses are student groups that are more willing to go out in their communities for a day and do needfinding research, and develop projects based off that, instead of being formally partnered with a sponsored program. I think that would address vibrancy in a far more personal way.

I'd also be interested in learning how to develop this concept to become more accessible and widespread beyond college campuses. There's a lot of professionals & alumni who are also eager to contribute, I'm sure. What can be done to leverage more talent out there?