Design The Future: mentorship program seeks project partners from the disability community

Design the Future is seeking individuals living with a physical disability (called Project Partners) who are passionate about mentorship. They will work with high school student teams, who will build solutions to a challenge that the individual experiences on a daily basis. Project Partners are interested in helping convey the value of including the user experience in the creation of a product or service that would test their design aptitude and innovation.

Locally, this program will be running at Stanford University and College of Alameda and they are seeking help from the members of the disability community to participate as Project Partners but they need to hear from you ASAP. You would also be financially rewarded up to $500 for your time.

Project Partners will share about themselves and serve as mentors to the students during the design process. During the week-long program, you can expect to participate in person and by phone for about 15 hours. The Project Partners receive the prototype/product at the end of the week, and are paid a stipend for their mentorship with the students.  Last year, NorCal SCI’s co-founder, Franklin Elieh, participated in this program, seeking a solution to develop an inexpensive, self-administered exercise tool so that he could work out at home while in his wheelchair and was blown away from the experience and outcome.

California locations and dates of this year’s programs are:

• Stanford University (Stanford, CA): June 17-22, June 24-29, July 15-20

• College of Alameda (Oakland, CA): July 8-13

This is truly a unique opportunity to open the eyes of the future generation to the unique challenges faced by the disability community and how their creativity can help solve them. The students are eager to please and, as you might imagine, have a ton of energy to expend on your project. APPLY HERE.