The Do Good Institute is excited to announce the six finalists of this year’s Do Good Challenge. The teams were selected from groups and organizations across campus that are tackling issues ranging from providing health education to reducing health disparities around the world to educating low-income youth on how to become entrepreneurs.
Teams include undergraduate and graduate students from across campus, including the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences, College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, College of Education, A. James Clark School of Engineering Robert H. Smith School of Business, School of Public Health, School of Public Policy and Undergraduate Studies. In addition, students are involved in Living-Learning programs including Honors College and College Park Scholars.
This year's group of finalists have each created incredible social impact for the issues and communities that they are most passionate about. These students come from different schools and colleges but they are all united in using their skills and expertise to do good. I am especially excited for all of the teams that are new to the Challenge and am so excited for them to share their stories with the campus community.Catherine Curtis Program Coordinator
On April 30, finalists will get on stage to share more about their work and impact with an audience of hundreds and a panel of expert judges at the Clarice to compete for a share of more than $20,000. Meet this year’s Finalist teams:
Project-Track Teams
App Dev Club (ADC) is a University of Maryland student organization with more than 350 registered members that bridges the gap between academic learning and real-world software development. The organization adopts a dual approach to social good, equipping UMD students with practical experience crucial for securing internships in the saturated tech industry and developing software for socially impactful corporate projects. In one semester, ADC gave 46 underclassmen and three juniors invaluable tech and networking experience between bootcamps and projects; 28 of these students landed summer 2024 internships.
- Matthewos Gashaw, College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences; Honors College (Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students) (pictured top left)
- Samai Patel, College of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences; Honors College (Advanced Cybersecurity Experience for Students) (pictured top left)
Dare to Dream (DTD) is a nonprofit organization that empowers marginalized communities to chase their dreams unapologetically through entrepreneurship. Their team of 25 interdisciplinary students created an eight-week entrepreneurial development curriculum; secured a contract with the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission, where youth with families who receive housing support engaged in a three-week program to kick-off their knowledge of entrepreneurship and dream chasing; and is conducting a full academic year contract with the University of Maryland’s Dingman Center of Entrepreneurship and Junior Achievement to teach their first-ever cohorts of high school students in Prince George’s County how to launch their own LLCs, obtain capital and investors, and liquidate their businesses.
- Abby Oseguera, A. James Clark School of Engineering (pictured top middle)
- Takiyah Roberts, Undergraduate Studies; College Park Scholars (Science, Technology and Society) (pictured top middle)
Public Health Beyond Borders (PHBB) empowers families and communities, both locally and globally, to achieve their best health through health education workshops and advocacy. The organization works to reduce health disparities around the world and increase awareness about good health practices, while providing undergraduate and graduate students with opportunities for responsible global development work. Since its inception 10+ years ago, PHBB has actively collaborated with partner communities in India, Peru, Sierra Leone, and Kenya and has completed 10+ interventions globally, involving more than 1,000 undergraduates and positively impacting 2,500+ children.
- Elias Laskey, College of Computer, Mathematical & Natural Sciences; Honors College (Global Public Health Scholars) (pictured top right)
- Meghna Pandey, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences; Honors College (Integrated Life Sciences) (pictured top right)
Venture-Track Teams
Game Changers aims to empower disadvantaged youth around the world by providing them the opportunity to become athletes. Game Changers facilitates connections between sports equipment donors and children’s sports programs globally through an online database. Since its founding in 2016, Game Changers has donated 100,000+ pieces of sports equipment worth more than $2.5 million to 130 partner organizations in nine countries. These collective efforts have enabled the organization to impact the lives of more than 440,000 children worldwide.
- Sara Blau, Robert H. Smith School of Business; College Park Scholars (International Studies) (pictured bottom middle)
The 2nd LT Richard W. Collins III Foundation was established to defeat the intolerance and fear that robbed the Collins family of their beloved son, and promote scholarship and mentoring to ensure the success of young people of color. The Foundation successfully lobbied the Maryland General Assembly for the enactment of the 2nd LT Richard W. Collins III Hate Crime Law as well as the 2nd LT Richard W. Collins III Scholarship Program Legislation, which provides $1 million in annual scholarships, with 700+ Maryland HBCU students receiving scholarship funding since 2018. Through partnerships with Bowie State University and the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School, the Foundation brings together ROTC students from historically Black colleges and predominately white institutions for outdoor leadership exercises aimed at fostering community.
- Dawn Collins, School of Public Policy (pictured bottom left)
- Anna Wietrecki, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (not pictured)
True Community works to save lives, increase health literacy, provide meaningful work and empower people to give care in emergencies – the organization aims to inspire people to transform the well-being of their communities. True Community provides wellness education and training in lifesaving skills including first aid, CPR and AED to traditionally marginalized communities. Research shows that incidences of cardiac arrest in Black communities are five times more likely to end as a fatality than in primarily white communities. Since its inception, True Community has provided more than 8,000 first aid, CPR, AED certifications across 18 major cities in the United States.
- Ebenezer Mensah, College of Education (pictured bottom right)
- Luke Kues, School of Public Health (pictured bottom right)
The Do Good Challenge Finals will be held at The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on April 30. Starting at 6pm, visit the Do Good Showcase where you can meet and connect with our Do Good students, alumni and friends and have the opportunity to hear from students who are taking action and vote for your favorite showcase team. Then, at 7pm in Kay Theater, watch and cheer on as finalist teams pitch their project or venture and the impact they've created for a chance to win a share of more than $20,000!
The Do Good Challenge and the Do Good Institute are made possible by the support and commitment of our dedicated partners, donors and community.
We are incredibly grateful to the Karen and Bruce Levenson Family Foundation for its visionary leadership and partnership since 2010. Today, thousands of student leaders are making a deep impact in their communities through UMD's Do Good Campus.
A special thank you to Morgan Stanley Private Wealth Management for its decade-plus lead sponsorship of the Do Good Challenge; The Rothschild Foundation for its transformative partnership with the Do Good Institute and Do Good Challenge; Freed Photography for capturing every in-person Do Good Challenge Finals; and our newest Do Good Challenge Finals partner, Equitable Foundation.
Learn more and stay up to date at dogood.umd.edu/events/dogoodchallenge.