The Do Good Institute is pleased to announce that six undergraduate students from across campus have been selected to join the first cohort of the Do Good Accelerator Fall Fellows Program.
The Fellows Program provides students the space, resources, and opportunities to explore, test, or scale up their idea, project, or venture. Each week, students will spend the fall semester participating in 1:1 coaching sessions with field experts, engaging in workshops that provide insights to valuable tools and resources, and immersing themselves in group activities with their peers who are also tackling a variety of social issues. The program will run between September 27 and November 22.
Our 2019 Fall Fellows are:
Baltimore Leading Baltimore, Faith Wilkins
Baltimore Leading Baltimore (BLB) is dedicated to serving Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (BPI) students who are interested in pursuing Computer Science in their post-secondary education. BLB is a 3-year minority pre-college program that is dedicated to assisting high school students of PBI to embrace their passions and embark on journeys toward post-secondary education in computing by teaching them coding, providing mentorships, cultivating their life skills, and providing them access to a network of professionals.
Chat Health, Veeraj Shah
Chat Health shares information regarding Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD’s) via SMS platform by using novel technology in machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to send students real-time SMS responses to questions about a wide array of preventative health services from VPD’s to oral health and physical therapy.
Humano, Andrew Jasiura
Humano is a project that consists of a photo installation, a documentary, and a VR installation. Humano documents the lives of Central Americans as they make the journey north from their home. Humano is shooting, editing, and directing the 2D documentary while also offering creative insight into the development of the VR build.
Pawsible, Vanessa Barker
Pawsible is a student-led project that provides a dog food pantry and financial support for Puppy Raisers who are operating under the National Capital Region of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, who are facing financial difficulty. Puppy Raisers at UMD raise guide dogs from 3 months- to 16-months-old during which the average cost is approximately $400 out of pocket. The Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind pays for veterinarian costs and basic supplies, but does not cover the cost of food or other commonly needed supplies.
Peer to Peer, Shivani Shah
Peer to Peer is a student organization at the University of Maryland that partners with the International Rescue Committee to provide after school programming for refugee youth in the Prince George's County area, four to five times per week. The program has 30 UMD student mentors who work with 63 refugee students at two schools and one library. Peer to Peer focuses on homework assistance and SAT preparation, as well as helps plan and host weekend trips and activities.
Phest (Philanthropy-Fest), Ian Moss
Phest aims to raise donations and awareness for nonprofit partners through live music events. The goal is to stage philanthropic concerts and music festivals with hopes to cover costs by forming strategic partnerships with successful sponsoring organizations, allowing profits to be donated to good causes.
