CMU The Policy Innovation Lab: A starter kit and fellowship program for citizen-centered policy design courses and future Public Interest Technologists
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Keywords
PIT,
public interest technology,
civic technology,
technology civic,
community technology,
technology community,
Experiential Learning,
fellowship,
toolkit, Educational Opportunities
Project
Authors
Goranson, Chris
Date Submitted
2020-12
Material Type
Guide
Secondary Material Type
Competency Based Education
Lab Curriculum
Lab Curriculum
Institution
Carnegie Mellon University
Industry Partner
License
CC BY-NC-SA
Funding Source
Network Challenge Grant TAACCCT Round 3
Additional Public Access
https://lor.instructure.com/resources/102751e11f824efda27c066442410715?shared
https://www.teachingpublicservice.digital/en/syllabus-authors
https://www.teachingpublicservice.digital/en/syllabus-authors
Abstract
The Policy Innovation Lab is a course at Heinz College that prepares students to become new public interest technologists. We do this by first teaching new masters students how to design and build public interest technology services that are centered on human-centered design, follow an agile methodology, and deliver a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for high-impact results. Select students and promising final projects from the course are then invited to continue their work during the following summer through fellowships. In the first year of this grant, 33 of our masters students had direct and proven experience working in the field of public interest technology across nine different external partners. The funding provided by this grant allowed us to take these ideas and partnerships formed during the course and see those develop into paid fellowship positions. In the summer of 2020, this resulted in the placement of the first five fellows. Fellows worked directly with organizations that participated in a previous course, which is a model we continued in the following academic year.
Industry (NAISC)
Public Interest Technology -- Policy -- Internet freedom, net neutrality & more
Occupation (SOC)
Computer and Mathematical Occupations -- Operations Research Analysts (15-2031)
Instructional Program (CIP)
Public Administration and Social Service Professions (44)
Credit Type
Credential Type
Bachelors Degree
Educational Level
2nd Year Community College or equivalent
Upper division of Bachelors degree or equivalent
Upper division of Bachelors degree or equivalent
Skill Level
Advanced Level