Releasing 2023 Booklet
Last October, we received 540 project submissions for the eleventh annual optiMize Social Innovation Challenge. Over the course of the next five months, we hosted the SIC with workshops, mentorship sessions, and community building events to support students working on social impact projects. In February, these teams presented their work and requested up to $10,000 per project. That funding allows students to work full-time on their projects all summer as optiMize Summer Fellows. This year, we are able to fund 33 projects and 41 fellowships – selected by a consensus decision that involves student leaders, alumni Fellows, mentors, and optiMize staff.
We are also incredibly excited to share the stories of our 12 Transfer Bridge Fellows, a fellowship which is offered every academic year to current University of Michigan transfer students who want to help impact the transfer student experience. During the Fellowship, these students led workshops at different community colleges and mentored prospective U-M students in various stages of the transfer process.
We are so proud to present to you the 2023 Booklet, featuring our Social Innovation Challenge teams, Transfer Bridge Fellows, and Organizing Team. As we enter a new decade of optiMize, we are constantly reminded of the power of our student leaders and the impact they will make on the world.
