Continue reading Worcester Community Fridges: Weatherizing and protecting fridge enclosures

Worcester Community Fridges: Weatherizing and protecting fridge enclosures

Project Description Since the pandemic, Worcester Community Fridges has strived to fill in the gaps of food insecurity in Worcester by providing a public communal fridge where anyone can donate and take food at one’s leisure Due to the unique challenge of maintaining a fridge outdoors, our project was meant to explore ways to better…

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Continue reading Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester: Creating a Homeowner Information Database

Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester: Creating a Homeowner Information Database

Project Overview Our project created a database for Habitat for Humanity MW/GW to organize information on their homeowners. We collected input on the database structure through interviews with the staff and feedback from testing the database. We delivered a Microsoft Access database to track data on homeowners, properties, and mortgages. We found that: Habitat Affiliates…

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Continue reading Trail Blazing the Worcester Intercollegiate Outdoor Initiative

Trail Blazing the Worcester Intercollegiate Outdoor Initiative

Project Description Worcester college students do not spend enough time outside due to their workload and limited access to nature. This project improved the well-being of Worcester college students by creating a sustainable plan to revamp the Worcester Intercollegiate Outdoors Initiative (WIOI). We gathered data on college students through surveys and interviews, ran an outdoor…

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Continue reading Legendary Legacies: Tracking the Reentry Phase for Post-Incarcerated Individuals

Legendary Legacies: Tracking the Reentry Phase for Post-Incarcerated Individuals

Project Description Reentry in the U.S. is a complicated and multifaceted issue with many challenges facing justice-involved individuals. In collaboration with Legendary Legacies, our team developed a new approach to evaluating data in the reentry space. While historically, data collected regarding program participants have been primarily quantitative, the secret to fostering positive change may lay…

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Continue reading Worcester Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative: Increasing Environmental Literacy through STEM Modules

Worcester Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative: Increasing Environmental Literacy through STEM Modules

Project Description Worcester has been experiencing an increase in cyanobacteria blooms in recent years. To counteract this, the Worcester Cyanobacteria Monitoring Collaborative (WCMC) has been releasing informational material to increase knowledge about this issue. Our team worked with the WCMC to create STEM learning modules that teach the youth different ways to identify cyanobacteria and…

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Continue reading Welcome NST: Integrating Technology

Welcome NST: Integrating Technology

Project Description WelcomeNST is a refugee resettlement organization using a private co-sponsorship model. Our project used technology to improve communication and information storage at WelcomeNST. We conducted interviews with Slack experts and NST members and observed WelcomeNST’s Slack workspace. We found communication disconnects, decentralized knowledge and resources, and technology limitations. We investigated potential Slack add…

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Continue reading Habitat for Humanity: Virtual Fundraising and Engagement Opportunities

Habitat for Humanity: Virtual Fundraising and Engagement Opportunities

Project Overview For our Interactive Qualifying Project, we worked with the Metro West/Greater Worcester branch of the global nonprofit organization Habitat for Humanity to develop virtual fundraisers and engaging virtual events to help this branch of Habitat for Humanity be successful during the Covid-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, many nonprofit organizations experienced financial trouble and…

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Continue reading Advertising for Advocates: A Project to Bolster Volunteer Recruitment for CASA Worcester County

Advertising for Advocates: A Project to Bolster Volunteer Recruitment for CASA Worcester County

Project Sponsor: CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) is a national, nonprofit organization that recruits and trains volunteer legal advocates that are appointed by a judge to represent the best interests of a child as s/he moves through the court system.  There are about 900 CASA agencies nationwide and six in Massachusetts.  This project…

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Continue reading Habitat for Humanity: Cultural Assessment of Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester ReStores

Habitat for Humanity: Cultural Assessment of Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester ReStores

Project Sponsor: Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/ Greater Worcester Numerous organizations, focusing on the amelioration of poverty, have sprung into existence around the world. Habitat for Humanity is a global Christian nonprofit housing organization founded in 1976, Americus, Georgia. The founders, Millard and Linda Fuller, developed the concept of “partnership housing.” They operate in approximately 70…

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Continue reading The CASA Project: Future CASA Training Program Options

The CASA Project: Future CASA Training Program Options

During our Interactive Qualifying Project (IQP) we worked in collaboration with The CASA Project to assess options for moving their training program online. Specifically, we focused on providing recommendations of the top e-Learning platforms that would suit their needs and the options for moving the training online. Project Sponsor: The CASA Project The CASA Project is…

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