CMU Social Innovation Fellowship officially launched
News
This student-driven initiative bridges the colleges of Carnegie Mellon and promotes social innovation for impact
On January 12 and 13, a multidisciplinary cohort of fourteen graduate and Ph.D. Carnegie Mellon University students - including HCII Ph.D. student Alex Sciuto and METALS student Sarah Klein - visited Boston in an immersive trek as the beginning of the Social Innovation Fellowship. They met with several academic, government, and social entrepreneurs to learn from and understand systemic thinking and best practices in the context of social innovation.
The fellows, currently enrolled in Heinz, Engineering, Computer Science, Fine Arts and the Tepper Business School will now take the insights gained from the trek and work with Metro 21, the Institute for Social Innovation, Project Olympus, and other CMU organizations over the next semester. The aim of the fellowship is to develop innovative ideas with the dual goals of tackling some of the most pressing challenges and creating the largest social impact.
Highlights of the trek included visits to MassChallenge and the Social Innovation Forum, where the fellows heard from successful social entrepreneurship ventures and learned more about how accelerators can spur innovation. The City of Boston Department of Innovation and Technology and the Mayor's Office of New Urban Mechanics shared their groundbreaking projects that are transforming the city. Finally, the fellows got inspired by the research of MIT Senseable City Lab and the Co-Op Power projects to bring sustainable energy to local communities.
The Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI) co-sponsored a networking dinner at Northeastern University and the Fellows made connections with students from Northeastern, MIT, Harvard and other universities.
With this exciting trek begins the CMU Social Innovation Fellowship, a student-driven initiative that will bridge the colleges of Carnegie Mellon and promotes social innovation for impact.
Special recognition to Heinz College, the School of Engineering, Metro21, the Institute for Social Innovation, the Division of Student Affairs of CMU for their support.