Public Interest Technology and The Promise For Greater Equity: A Virtual Conference For Future Public Interest Leaders
WHAT IS PUBLIC INTEREST TECHNOLOGY? Public Interest Technology (PIT) is a rapidly growing and essentially important field where technology and public policy overlap. Carnegie Mellon University has been a leader in this space for over 50 years, promoting the use of technology to advance the public interest.
Our 2020 Public Service Weekend virtual conference will highlight the rising prominence of PIT and bring together a diverse group of practitioners from across the field—including policymakers, technologists, designers, and leaders—to develop innovative solutions to pressing issues in public policy and equity. This interactive weekend will introduce undergraduate students from a variety of backgrounds to careers and opportunities for graduate-level education in PIT.
WHO SHOULD APPLY?
Rising college juniors and seniors interested in public policy, public interest technology, policy analytics, and related fields, who are strongly considering graduate education and/or careers in these fields.
Students can apply from ANY undergraduate major, including political science, government, the liberal arts, fine arts, and STEM fields. Successful applicants will share a passion for solving complex problems and working together with others from a diversity of fields, backgrounds, and perspectives.
Preference will be given to students representing underserved communities from across the United States and/or working towards equity issues.
The conference will be 100% online and will include a diverse mix of activities – both synchronous and asynchronous — designed to teach students about Public Interest Technology and give them a taste of what graduate public policy school is like.
The ESW Solar District Cup competition team is looking for some last minute help with their final report due on 4/14! If you have a few hours of free time this week and want to help them out with either some visual, electrical, or financial modeling or the construction plan of solar energy systems, please email Clayton at cjmarkha@buffalo.edu! This experience is a great look into the world of renewable energy consulting!
Being a Diversity Advocate is a
life-impacting 10-hour a week paid position where you develop multicultural,
facilitation, and leadership experiences and skills. Come see us at SU 240 to
learn more, and apply now! To apply, click on this link.Deadline to apply is Thursday, April 2nd, 2020
UB Sustainability and the UB Great Lakes Program is assembling a working group of students to help create a game that explains water pollution and the WNY Watershed to local school students. It is based off of a curriculum developed in Cleveland and adapted for Erie PA. This informal working group of students would help us by:
1. Drafting 40 facts that pertain to Buffalo’s watershed (based on the past 50 years)
2. Launching and leading the game at UB’s STEP program with 12-20 middle school students on April 3rd from 4-5pm on South Campus
Your time commitment would be about 5 hours of work. The facts for the board game can be created through a shared document online, and then we’d just need volunteers to administer the game in April.
We are planning on launching a kickoff meeting next Wednesday, February 26th from 11-12pm in 101 Statler to explain the scope of the project. We can create a web meeting as well for people that cannot attend in person.
Diversity
Advocate Applications are already open!Being a Diversity Advocate is a life-impacting 10-hour a week paid
internship where you develop multicultural, facilitation, and leadership
experiences and skills. Come see us at SU 240 to learn more, and apply
now!
Volunteers needed for running programs at Maple West. The ask is to have volunteers 16 and older (male or female) that would be available two days a week from 7:15-8:45am. The potential program would run in the fall and spring for 9 weeks during each season concluding with a 5K. The volunteers could count this work as credits if needed. Please let me know if this is of any interest to anyone in your program. For more information, please contact Jennifer Weinstein 716-445-4679
A peer mentor is an
experienced first-gen upper-class student at UB who will mentor a small group
(up to 10) new to UB first-gen freshmen. Mentors are committed to supporting
the holistic development of our first-gen students and preparing them to make a
successful transition to college. Mentors will contribute to the success of
their mentees by building community and as sense of belonging. Mentors will
also challenge the student to think more critically and have an increased level
of self- awareness and reflection. Mentors will serve as a buddy, a coach, an
advocate and a role model for their mentee.
Peer Mentor Primary Responsibilities
Participate in required mentor training sessions
(approx. 2 hours in person, there may be more training opportunities online; times
TBD)
Attend fall “Welcome (Back) Bulls Social” in September to welcome all incoming
first generation students
Reach out to your assigned mentees at the start of
classes and each month; be available to your mentee via text, email, phone, or
in person
Attend First Gen Connect monthly events with your
mentee(s)
Participate in mentor workshops offered on a variety
of leadership, wellness, and personal/professional development topics
Estimated time commitment of the program:
approximately 2 hours in mentor training (times TBD)
Additional online training modules will be required as
ongoing training
approximately 4 hours a week working with
mentee(s), which includes related activities–workshops, mentor journal,
required survey/assessments)
Peer Mentor Required Qualifications
Enrolled in Spring 2020 and will have sophomore,
junior, or senior status in Fall 2020
Must be in good academic, financial, and
disciplinary standing
First-generation college student (neither parent
received a four-year degree in the United States)
Good interpersonal and communication skills
Genuine desire to help their first-generation peers
succeed
Self-motivated with a positive attitude
Willing to learn and share information about the
University at Buffalo community, student life and campus resources
First gen students at UB come from across the globe
and represent a wide variety of ethnic, cultural, linguistic, socio-economic,
geographical, and political perspectives–prospective mentors should embrace and
celebrate this diversity
Interest in developing leadership and mentoring
experience
Benefits for Peer Mentors
Workshops and training on a wide variety of UB
resources that support student success–including career, professional, wellness,
and leadership topics
Enhance your skills in coaching and guiding others
Opportunities to connect with a wide network of
faculty and staff dedicated to the success of our first gen Bulls community
Stay up to date on new events and resources on campus
Make a difference and positively impact a first-year
student’s UB experience!
Provide free five-minute backrubs and wellness info to students at campus events, residence halls, organization meetings, libraries and other campus locations. Endless Benefits and Instant Connections:
•
Learn effective backrub and other stress reduction techniques
•
Meet and team with others committed to helping students feel better
•
Participate when and where you want
•
Get experience working on a high-profile health promotion initiative
•
Fulfill volunteer hours needed for a class, a student club, or other program
•
Have a great time, make friends, and relax!The Stressbusters Program is an incredibly fun program for undergrad and grad students. Volunteer commitment is less than 10 hours a semester. A Volunteer Training will be offered at the start of each semester for new volunteers and the outreach events will begin the weeks following.Stressbusters is a program of Health Promotion. If you are interested, please complete a Stressbusters Volunteer Application under the Forms section on UBLinked here: https://buffalo.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/wes. For more information, please contact Sharlynn Daun-Barnett at sd62@buffalo.edu
The upcoming UB Pride & Service Day event is on May 11th and we are looking for student teams to come volunteer for the morning and show their UB Pride! Event registration will begin at 8:30 am in the Student Union Lobby and the day will finish off around 1:30 PM with lunch back in the Student Union Lobby. UB volunteers will be given a t-shirt, water bottle and work gloves as well as breakfast, lunch and transportation to and from their work site!!
*If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please register here.
Explore
Buffalo is recruiting volunteers for Doors Open Buffalo, taking place
on June 15, 2019. Doors Open Buffalo is a day of free public access into
downtown Buffalo’s most architecturally
and historically significant buildings. Based
on Doors Open events in other cities like Baltimore and Pittsburgh, we
are expecting up to 15,000 people to visit the 35 buildings
on tour.
We will need hundreds of volunteers to staff this event. Volunteer duties include greeting and counting visitors, distributing event guides, and providing directions and a basic history of your assigned building.
Volunteer shifts are 3 hours long, starting no earlier than 8:30 am and ending no later than 5:30 pm so there’s plenty of time to enjoy the reset of the event before or after your shift. Volunteers are encouraged to sign up with friends and family. You do not have to be an Explore Buffalo volunteer to participate. Please register via the following link. Once signed up you’ll receive a confirmation email. Explore Buffalo will be back in touch no later than May 17 with volunteer training dates and no later than June 7 with your building and shift assignment. https://explorebuffalo.org/doors-open-buffalo/
