Making an impact is hard. optiMize helps you do it.
“optiMize is the first place where everyone wanted to help us learn skills and face our challenges. We grew so much as a project and as individuals. Every event helped us move forward—this community is so inspiring!”
Explore ideas, problems, and opportunities. You pick your own project and we help you get traction. It’s easy to get stuck in the “idea phase”, and there’s no perfect formula for validating ideas. That’s why building your project alongside other motivated students and experienced mentors is the best way to create effective, sustainable impact—whether that means building a startup, organizing an activist campaign, or anything in between.
Build lifelong connections with new friends and mentors. Whether you're a total beginner or an experienced builder, you’ll get access to the optiMize Slack and Mentor Directory—and support from a community that is diverse in every sense. In optiMize, you’ll meet friends, cofounders, investors, and partners. You’ll offer your unique perspective to help others, and you’ll find lots of people who want to help you.
Boost your energy and build the skills you need at curated, action-based events. We bring in world-class speakers and you get to choose action-based workshops tailored to your specific needs. You’ll be invited to engaging community events to share ideas, meet new people, and build your project. Lots of free coffee and food for all!
Fit optiMize to your needs and schedule. We are here to meet your specific needs, not to force you into a box. We serve a range of traditional and nontraditional students, and our programs are extremely flexible. You can choose to attend every opportunity and engage every day—or you can pick and choose what you need most. You can attend most events online or in-person. And if your schedule conflicts with an event, we’ll offer you a makeup.
Pitch for up to $10,000. All participants get the opportunity to pitch for up to $10,000 for you and your project to continue growing. We’ll help you prepare a fantastic pitch that will give you a stronger chance of raising money, both from optiMize and other funding opportunities.
Program Glimpse
PROGRAM DATES
09.22.2023 Submit your project or idea for the 13 week program.
09.24.2023 Fall SIC Programs and Events Begin
12.03.2022 Fall SIC Programs and Events End
01.21.2024 Winter SIC Programs and Events Begin
02.13.2024 Winter SIC Programs and Events End
If you join late, you can still participate. We accept new participants throughout the program, though participants who participate for the full 15 weeks have an advantage in funding selection.
EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES
Action-Based Workshops feature world-class speakers and content that’s directly relevant to your project. You’ll attend five workshops, from visioning to budgeting.
Mentor Check-ins are a place for students and mentors to talk in a supportive small group setting. We delve into the challenges we're facing and seek constructive feedback.
Community Events bring people together for loosely-structured community-building and feedback-sharing experiences. These include optiMize After Hours (a night-time coffee shop at the optiMize Space), a Prototype Showcase, a Gallery Walk session, special guest lectures for optiMize students, topic-based learn/unlearn sessions, peer-to-peer skillshares, field trips to events and places around Southeast Michigan, and more!
Practice Pitches give you a chance to practice your 7-minute pitch before there’s money on the line. We get you in the room with communication and pitching experts to help you hone your pitch and build confidence.
Funding Pitches give you a chance to pitch for up to $10,000 and to join the optiMize Summer Fellowship.
ACCESS TO RESOURCES
The optiMize Space at UM-Ann Arbor is located in the heart of UM’s Central Campus, just off the main lobby of the LSA Building. You can find optiMize students, staff, and mentors hanging out here every day—just walk in anytime for coffee, conversation, and community!
The optiMize Community Slack and Mentor Directory give you a place to engage online. optiMize alumni, mentors, staff, and participants will all be active and engaged every day if you want to bounce ideas or set up 1-on-1 meetings!
The optiMize Library includes online courses, recordings of past workshops, written guides and templates, and recommended books and readings for social impact projects.
Office Hours with optiMize Leaders are available every day of every week. They’re a great way to ask questions, get personalized support, build relationships, and find the right introduction to people in the network who can help you!
Join the Social Innovation Challenge!
FAQ
IS THIS FOR TEAMS OR INDIVIDUALS? Either. You can apply as an individual or as a team—and you can succeed either way. All participants gain access to a network of potential teammates, mentors, and supporters. And it's not uncommon for teams to combine midway through the program.
AM I ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE? Every project must include at least one student who is currently enrolled at one of the following schools: University of Michigan (all campuses), and any community college in the state of Michigan. We welcome students ranging from first-year undergraduates to Ph.D. candidates—of all ages, majors, schools, colleges, and degree programs.
WILL I BE ACCEPTED IF I SIGN UP? We accept every student who is eligible!
WHAT KINDS OF WORK DOES OPTIMIZE SUPPORT? You can apply with an ongoing project, an idea for a new project, or even just a passion for an issue. You can start a company, create a student org, collaborate with an existing organization, launch a creative project, develop an activist effort, or pursue whatever method works for you to create impact. Your focus can be on whatever matters most to you — whether that's related to climate, education, social justice, health, or any other societal issue you can think of!
HOW DEVELOPED DO MY IDEAS NEED TO BE? No matter what stage you're at, optiMize can help you take your next steps. If you're thinking "I probably don't know enough to do this" — don't worry, you know enough to get started. And if you're thinking, "I'm too advanced for this" — you're probably wrong, and you'll miss out on some great networking and funding opportunities. No matter what stage you're at, we say give it a try. If you try it and it's not for you, you can leave the program whenever you want. But most students find something of value in their optiMize experience, and for many it's life-changing.
WHAT RESOURCES DOES OPTIMIZE PROVIDE? We'll do everything we can to support you as you develop your projects and ideas. Starting in October, all Social Innovation Challenge participants gain access to skill-building workshops, mentorship, project feedback, and personalized support from our staff team. In February, participants can pitch for up to $10,000 to join the optiMize Summer Fellowship, an 8-week funded program in May-June. In recent years, between 30-40% of students who pitch receive funding.
WHEN ARE SUBMISSIONS DUE? Submissions are due September 22, 2023. We'll reach out to you with next steps once you submit!
Have another question? Send us an email and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!