Center for Civic Innovation
The Local Innovation Pipeline from Elementary School through CollegeCenter for Civic Innovation
The Local Innovation Pipeline from Elementary School through College
Since 2015, the Bowmen Creek Educational Ecosystem (BCe2) has provided internships to local high school and college students working in diverse project teams on community-identified problems requiring innovative solutions. The organization, now working under the auspices of the Center for Civic Innovation (CCI), has grown from 8 interns working on a single project in their first year, to currently offer 32-36 internships working on 8-9 projects co-designed by community partner organizations each summer.
CCI interns receive training in leadership, design thinking, diversity, project management and project-specific training, providing them with real-world experience as they develop the technical and interpersonal skills necessary to succeed in a competitive workforce. The community, in turn, receives the benefit of fresh thinking and potential solutions to local issues that frequently have not previously received sufficient attention.
CCI submitted a grant request to the Foundation requesting funds for a CCI summer intern team to help design and install a fully functioning makerspace, develop a year-round Design Thinking program for South Bend 1st-8th graders, and for a 6-week, half-day Design Thinking summer camp for South Bend middle schoolers. The Foundation, an early supporter of the organization pleased with its innovative educational approach and their direction, approved their request.
