Overview
When: 6 Week starting in May
Where: Boston, MA
Who: Undergraduate students who are interested in civic technology
The Impact Technology Fellowship presented by the PIT-NE Summer Institute gives students who attend schools across New England to work together on PIT experiential learning projects from community partners while building critical professional skills. This program will consist of three key pieces:
- Experiential learning where teams of 3-5 students work under the guidance of mentors and project managers on projects from community partners
- PIT skill building through seminars with PIT leaders and consultations with PIT experts
- Professional development workshops where students grow skills and learn about PIT career paths
Fellows will work for 40 hours per week in teams under the guidance of technical experts to deliver innovative projects to our community partners. There will be three different project tracks:
- Software Engineering
- Data Science
- Machine Learning
Alongside their technical work, students will engage in a series of seminars to grow their PIT skills to be leaders in the socially responsible workforce of tomorrow. These workshops will be presented by PIT leaders who will help students apply these new skills to their technical work. Professional development workshops will also help students advance skills such as presentation, communication, and Agile processes to be successful members of the workforce.
Fellows will receive a stipend from the institutions where they are enrolled as full-time students to cover to cost of living expenses such as housing for the course of the program.
Important Dates for 2024
March 11th: Application opens
March 31st, 11:59 PM: Application due
April 1st, 11:59 PM: Technical Assessment due
April 19th: All applicants are notified of their acceptance status
May 21st: Program begins
June 27th: PIT-NE Summer Institute’s Community Showcase
June 28th: Program ends
Responsibilities
Work 40 hours per week on s PIT project with a small team
Work in person at Boston University Monday – Thursday and virtually on Friday
Attend all workshops and seminars in person (at Boston University or other locations in the Boston area)
Present project to community partners at the program capstone
Location
Boston, MA
All students will be required to live in the Boston, MA area so they can attend events and work in person. Students will be asked to find their own housing however options will be provided at schools in the area.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am an international student. Can I apply to this program and will I need CPT?
Yes, international students can apply to this program. The international program’s office at your university will determine if you require CPT. At this time, we have confirmed that Boston University and UMass Amherst students will not need CPT to participate. To help determine if you will need CPT to participate, you can bring this fact sheet to your international programs office. For questions or help determining if you need CPT, please reach out to info@pitne.org.
What are some examples of projects that I might work on?
Software Engineering: develop a web app to to address the lack of accessible information around voting logistics and candidates in municipal elections in Boston with the goal of increasing voter turnout
Data Science: use data from the City of Boston to examine how tree canopies impact the local environment
Machine Learning: build a model to identify and classify how race appears in published articles
Will I be able to request which project I want to work on?
Yes, you will be able to indicate on the application which type of technical project you would like to work on and what topics you are most interested in.
Are there any skills I should practice or learn before applying?
No, we have designed this program to include students with diverse technical skills at different levels or expertise. The application allows you to indicate your skills and the technical assessment will show us that you will be ready to work on projects at the start of the program so you do not have to be an expert.
How do I find housing for the program?
Fellows will be provided with various resources for finding housing for the program. We are working with schools in the area to identify dorms that students access for summer housing. Fellows can also choose to find their own housing.