Ever wanted to change the world, but didn’t know how to get started or where to go to do it? The Millennial Generation, famous for their “do-gooder” mentality, puts great importance on using their skills to make a difference in the world rather than just earn a paycheck. Yet for many students and young graduates, the opportunities to do this are not always obvious and have to be actively sought out, creating a barrier to their volunteering their skills.
31Projects, a social enterprise recently launched nationwide, presents a unique solution to this problem. We’ve developed an online platform (www.31projects.org) which connects students and young graduates with opportunities to use their skills to help social enterprises, nonprofits, and entrepreneurs working to change the world. Students provide help to organizations in two ways: through defined, short-term projects done by a student or team of classmates, and through crowdsourcing-style contests where all interested participants work to develop innovative solutions to an organization’s particular challenge.
The projects and competitions give students the opportunity to apply the skills which they build through their studies in business, design, media & communications, or technology to make an impact while gaining experience and applied learning. Professors and program directors can also integrate the projects and competitions into their curriculum through homework assignments, practicum projects, or independent studies.
The mission behind 31Projects is two-fold: 1) to help organizations by connecting them with students who can provide the help they need, and 2) to inspire students to get involved in changing the world and to consider career paths which enable them to do so. We’re currently working to build partnerships with universities and student clubs to grow our community of student changemakers and are also looking for organizations in need of help in marketing/finance, design, technology, or communications. Interested students and organizations can sign up directly on the website to get started.
