Thank you for your interest in Impact Corps, which pairs UT Austin graduate and undergraduate student teams with community organizations and social enterprises during the 2023-24 academic year. Students help partners address a challenge, while gaining new skills and practical experience. Deadline to apply: Dec. 13.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS & DESCRIPTION:
WHAT IS IMPACT CORPS?
The Impact Factory (https://theimpactfactory.org/) is a social entrepreneurship and community service hub at The University of Texas at Austin. The Impact Factory developed Impact Corps to both enhance local organizations’ capacity to address challenges in our community and give students a unique, hands-on learning and skills-building experience with tangible impact.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
1. Non-profit organizations, public institutions, and social enterprises apply to be clients, submitting potential projects
2. Any graduate student or undergraduate student in their sophomore to senior year at UT Austin may apply to join Impact Corps, ranking project preferences
3. The Impact Factory selects and pairs clients with student-teams with 2-5 members for a project lasting 1 or 2 semesters. Students began working with partners during the Fall 2023 semester. New students will be joining existing teams to work on the second phase of the team's project in the Spring.
4. The Impact Factory pairs student-teams with an advisor and student-teams, advisors and community partners develop a scope of work
5. The Impact Factory provides workshops to students over the course of the year to share skills and introduce students to social impact leaders
6. Students are asked to take Impact Corps for independent study course credit (1 credit pass/fail each semester) through the LBJ School of Public Affairs if your college allows this. If that does not work for you, it can be an extra-curricular activity only.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN APPLICATION:
You must be committed to dedicating an average of five hours weekly to Impact Corps and prioritize Impact Corps as a top extracurricular activity. Impact Corps is looking for students from a wide range of diverse backgrounds. We seek resourceful, innovative team players who enjoy solving problems, are comfortable with ambiguity, driven by a desire to serve others, and eager to gain practical experiences and build new skills. If you will be swamped with other courses and commitments during the academic year, you should NOT apply. We understand how busy students can be, so please consider this opportunity when you can be fully committed and engaged.
Students are required to attend the following spring workshops. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW FOR THESE
WORKSHOPS.
Thurs., 1/18 5:30-7:45pm 1st meeting
Sat., 1/20 - 10am - 12pm - *workshop for NEW students only participating Spring '24*
Thurs., 1/25 5:30-7pm 2nd meeting
Thurs., 2/29 5:30-7pm 3rd meeting
Thurs., 3/28 5:30-7pm 4th meeting
Thurs., 4/18 5:30-7:30pm Team presentations
NEXT STEPS:
Student application deadline: 12/13
Students notified of acceptance by 12/22
Deadline for students to submit program agreement: 1/11
Course registration deadline: 1/18
Soon after the first workshop, students will meet with their client and develop a scope of work and submit it to their client and mentor. Then students will get started on their project. Students are required to check in with their mentor at least twice during the Spring semester.
PROJECTS
Students are asked to rank projects in order of preference in the below application. You can view the project list here. “Preferred student skills/interests” are not required.
Please select "next" button below to complete short application form.
Have questions? Contact Laura Rosen, The Impact Factory laura.rosen@austin.utexas.edu
