Learn by Doing, Make a Real Difference
Tired of classes that stay in the classroom? Innovating for Public Impact gives you the chance to work on real problems that real people face.
Over the semester, you and a small team will:
- Talk to more than 100 people connected to the issue you’re exploring
- Identify what really matters to the people affected
- Test ideas quickly to see what works and what doesn’t
- Create and share a practical solution that responds to what you’ve learned
This course is open to students from all majors and backgrounds:
- Engineering and science students apply technical skills to real-world problems.
- Social science and humanities students bring insight into people, culture, and policy.
- Business and economics students sharpen their skills in strategy and impact.
- Art and design students add creativity, storytelling, and user-centered thinking.
You’ll leave the class with more than just a grade, you’ll have hands-on experience, a portfolio-ready project, and the confidence to tackle big challenges in your career or community.
Types of problems you may work on:
- Critical infrastructure resilience (e.g., energy & power, manufacturing & supply chain, information technology)
- Regional solutions in key industry areas (e.g., autonomy/robotics, advanced manufacturing, space, energy,
- Public/Social Good (e.g. public health, national security, environmental protection/safety)
- Community partners include but are not limited to the Federal and state government and military, national laboratories, STEM non-profits, local economic development organizations
Add these skills to your resume
- Problem-solving and solution design for complex, real-world challenges
- Interdisciplinary teamwork and project management
- Stakeholder engagement and customer discovery interviews
- Research, data analysis, and synthesis of diverse perspectives
- Professional communication, storytelling, and presentation skills
- Leadership development and cross-sector collaboration experience