2018-2019:
Stay Tuned.
Year 2: 2017-2018
This year Net Impact Davis is excited to announce we have created three teams focusing on one of three diverse themes: poverty, food waste, and waste management. Our teams had the opportunity to hear from various organizations such as Design For America, UC Davis Grad School of Management Big Bang, and the Graduate Net Impact Davis chapter. With help from advisors and the executive board, each team developed a valuable project proposal.
The Poverty team is in the process of developing and implementing a mentorship program that helps students of Grant Union High School in Sacramento, CA explore occupational and educational opportunities that they may seek after high school and help them overcome obstacles they face in pursuing these opportunities. This support system directly addresses and provides a solution to the cycle of poverty that many low-income children and young adults find themselves trapped in.
The Food Waste team aims to create a centralized online resource that provides transparent, accurate, and useful information on food help resources. Their hub will create a food-centered community that brings together related food help topics and issues spanning from open pantry times to food recovery etiquette. Their hub aims to not only feed people but also reduce food waste throughout our community. With the foundation of the website, they plan to build a local, campus-based food sharing platform in the future.
The Waste team is addressing the issue of massively generated waste by creating a smart trash can that can capture images of waste, process them and then automatically separate the waste into compost, recyclable, or landfill waste bins. They plan to create a prototype that implements Conventional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Computer Vision algorithms on a Raspberry Pi 3 to correctly identify and sort trash. Through their prototype they hope to pave the way for intelligent, inexpensive and sustainable waste management across a wide spectrum of commercial and residential facilities.
The Poverty team is in the process of developing and implementing a mentorship program that helps students of Grant Union High School in Sacramento, CA explore occupational and educational opportunities that they may seek after high school and help them overcome obstacles they face in pursuing these opportunities. This support system directly addresses and provides a solution to the cycle of poverty that many low-income children and young adults find themselves trapped in.
The Food Waste team aims to create a centralized online resource that provides transparent, accurate, and useful information on food help resources. Their hub will create a food-centered community that brings together related food help topics and issues spanning from open pantry times to food recovery etiquette. Their hub aims to not only feed people but also reduce food waste throughout our community. With the foundation of the website, they plan to build a local, campus-based food sharing platform in the future.
The Waste team is addressing the issue of massively generated waste by creating a smart trash can that can capture images of waste, process them and then automatically separate the waste into compost, recyclable, or landfill waste bins. They plan to create a prototype that implements Conventional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Computer Vision algorithms on a Raspberry Pi 3 to correctly identify and sort trash. Through their prototype they hope to pave the way for intelligent, inexpensive and sustainable waste management across a wide spectrum of commercial and residential facilities.
Year 1: 2016-2017
UC Davis' Net Impact Undergraduate Chapter kicked off for its very first year in Fall 2016. Its members agreed upon 3 central themes for the year: Water Management, Waste Management, and Education. With help from the Graduate Net Impact Davis chapter as well as support from its incredible staff advisory board, this dedicated team was able to develop project proposals and strategies for success to impact the Davis community.
The Water Management team has planned to start an initiative to connect soil science students with the UC Davis Student Farm by implementing an internship program that would benefit both parties. Students would gain exposure to best practices for water management in agriculture, and the Student Farm would have a more efficient way of monitoring and adapting its water use.
The Waste Management team is focused on increasing awareness and signage of composting around the UC Davis campus. They plan on working with designers to ultimately create materials for new student orientation regarding the importance of composting, and composting correctly.
The Education team intends to create a virtual program that allows UC Davis students in foreign language classes to communicate with a designated "buddy" abroad. They have put together a list of foreign language professors who would be interested in implementing their 10-week lesson plan as a learning supplement. Their goal is to foster cultural and social understanding across geographical borders, and examine similarities and differences in sustainability issues around the world.
The Water Management team has planned to start an initiative to connect soil science students with the UC Davis Student Farm by implementing an internship program that would benefit both parties. Students would gain exposure to best practices for water management in agriculture, and the Student Farm would have a more efficient way of monitoring and adapting its water use.
The Waste Management team is focused on increasing awareness and signage of composting around the UC Davis campus. They plan on working with designers to ultimately create materials for new student orientation regarding the importance of composting, and composting correctly.
The Education team intends to create a virtual program that allows UC Davis students in foreign language classes to communicate with a designated "buddy" abroad. They have put together a list of foreign language professors who would be interested in implementing their 10-week lesson plan as a learning supplement. Their goal is to foster cultural and social understanding across geographical borders, and examine similarities and differences in sustainability issues around the world.