Katherine Olives
Students at City College have an opportunity to create social impact through many activities on campus, but were excited to announce that well continue our partnership with Communitas America to train students for careers in the social impact realm. This year, weve paired it with our Apprenticeship Program, a career-readiness program out of our MakerLab that allows CCNY students the opportunity to develop their skills by working on projects within our MakerLab. We like to think of it as an apprenticeship that builds on what students learn in the classroom to prepare them for industry careers. This summer, some of our apprentices will take what theyve learned at the Zahn Center and work as interns at NYC-based social enterprises. Through this summer program, our students will not only gain invaluable career experience by working at social impact organizations and social enterprises in the NYC area, but theyll understand the foundations of building a career in the social impact sector through a series of skill-building workshops.
Were excited to announce more details about the companies these CCNY students will support. Nine CCNY students were placed in various social ventures in the NYC area for 10 weeks (June 3rd – August 9th) this summer. Below is the list of the organizations.
- Design and Disorder: a multi-pronged technology for the deaf community and those with hearing loss, combining a stylish wearable with sensors in the home to help individuals identify & locate sounds. Not only will these individuals feel safer using this device (theyll be aware when a smoke detector goes off, a door opens, a faucet is running, etc.), but it will allow them to establish more independence. Design and Disorder is a Zahn Center startup, and was founded by current CCNY students Heba Attia, Marvel Delva, and Elmi Jimenez.
- DogSpot: is committed to ethical pet treatment and animal neglect prevention. DogSpot is a smart sidewalk sanctuary, providing your dog a safe and cozy home away from home while you briefly go somewhere they aren't allowed. The device is temperature controlled, auto-sanitizing, and has a veterinarian grade space with remote monitoring.
- Farmshelf: an early-stage high-growth startup that builds smart indoor farms. Their bookshelf-sized Farmshelfs provide leafy greens and herbs year-round to food halls, corporate cafeterias and restaurants, including those of acclaimed chefs José Andrés, Marcus Samuelsson, and Claus Meyer. Their team of engineers, designers, fabricators, technicians and plant scientists take on the challenges of creating agricultural technology innovations to feed our growing urban populations.
- Hoplite Power. With Hoplite Power, you can easily charge your smartphone on the go€”no wires or outlets required! Hoplite Powers main impact on clean energy downstream is the reduction of e-waste, which has a net impact on the cradle to grave (or cradle to cradle in some cases) footprint of Lithium Ion Batteries. As a networked sharing economy product, Hoplites power bank rentals are able to improve the utilization, reliability, quality control, and accountability of the power bank market. This not only reduces the environmental hazards of power bank disposal, but also has a net reduction in the landfill CO2 footprint.
- Pvilion: a solar product company that integrates solar cells into flexible materials, from backpacks and clothing to stadium roofs and building facades. Because their products provide more than just solar electricity, they often work with forward-thinking and environmentally-conscious clients who are trying to extend their sustainability initiatives into the realm of celebrated public spaces.
- Unique Electric Solutions: a provider of electric propulsion and power systems for commercial trucks, commercializing two products an all-electric drive system for Class 4 thru 7 trucks and buses. UES is focused on fleet conversions for operations in highly congested cities where there is a high sensitivity to airborne emissions and noise.
- Zahn Center. The Zahn Center inspires CCNY students to approach their education as changemakers, transforming classroom learning into real-world application. As a startup incubator located at the City College of New York (CCNY), it offers co-working space and an array of resources including: an annual competition, a startup bootcamp, mentorship and pro-bono services, networking opportunities, and rapid prototyping facilities.
Look out for more information about how these students are progressing soon! If youd like to see their final presentations, join us at their Finale on August 13th.
Details & registration can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zahn-apprentice-impact-career-program-powe…
Communitas America, Inc seeks to support programs that encourage under-resourced communities to become changemakers. With the support of Communitas Inc., the Zahn Innovation Center is able to offer students these incredible opportunities as part of the Impact Career program, a special initiative designed to help students pursue careers within the social sector. Thanks to Communitas Inc.s support City College students will further their education, receiving on-the-job training and mentorship. This partnership helps both organizations fulfill the mission to create future change-makers capable of making a real, deep and positive influence in their communities and beyond.