So Many Cool Ways to Get Involved with Our Community!
Olin has a number of great service projects you can get directly involved with. We also have partnerships with outside organizations that can help you take your time and talent make a difference in someone's life. Below is a listing of the clubs and organizations and who you should contact to get involved.
NOTE: If you are looking for resources: forms, help starting a project, or getting new members, go to the Resources link.
Engineering Discovery
Christina Powell
eDiscovery develops curriculum and teaches local school kids (often elementary school) engineering concepts with fun activities. Whether you want to come up with brand new lessons or just help out with teaching one week, check out eDiscovery!-
Friday Service
Torie Hamilton -
FIRST Robotics
Xy Ziemba, Danny Bathgate, Emily Towers
FIRST is a high-school aged robotics competition that aims to make science and engineering fun, exciting, and popular. The FIRST group at Olin has mentored a team from Hyde Park High School in past years. The group also works with VEX (high school) and Lego (elementary and middle school) Robotics Teams. -
Habitat for Humanity
Hannah Sarver
Habitat works to provide decent affordable housing for low income families. Volunteers aid in the construction of a house whether it be framing, dry-walling, or painting. The group gets together at least once a month and usually more frequently to go to build sites. Last winter, the group also framed houses indoors. -
OLPC
Molly Farison
Olin has created a group to participate in the One Laptop Per Child project. Olin Colleges OLPC University Chapter will work to develop software and hardware for use with the OLPC laptop, the XO. Development for the XO has been incorporated into several Olin classes for their final projects, and many students on campus are interested in participating in a variety of ways. From hardware and software development, to developing educational content, to promotion and organizing jams, it is easy to get involved in the OLPC project! -
Science Club for Girls - Olin SWE Outreach
Hannah Sarver
Olin SWE organizes engineering and science outreach events for elementary, middle, and high school girls in the area. -
Tutoring at the Needham Housing Authority
Emily Shackleton
Olin has been collaborating with Babson students to tutor children at the Needham Housing Authority (NHA) once a week. The NHA provides affordable housing in Needham for low-income families. The tutors show up to the community center for an hour once a week, and the children, ranging from elementary to middle school age, drop by with homework or materials to review. It’s a lot of fun and you really get to know the kids that come back week after week. -
Big Brothers, Big Sisters
Jen Keene
Big Brothers Big Sisters is coordinated through an outside organization: Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters. The organization comes to recruit at our club fair- so make sure to check out the table. Initially getting involved involves interviews and background checks, but once you have a Little, you maintain the relationship your entire time in the area (over years). Members eat lunch with an elementary schcool aged student once per week (you pick the day) for about half an hour. You can talk, play games, or help with any work they may need to do. -
CODA (Computing Opportunities for Disabled Adults
[currently being coordinated]
CODA helps adults with disabilities work towards goals of literacy, computer proficiency and job skills in both one-on-one and group learning environments. Volunteers get to have fun, meet more people and make a difference - you could help someone get a job. -
APL (the association of project leaders)
APL is the group of people who lead the individual projects. They meet every two weeks with the SERV board to keep each other informed and help one another out. Contact any of the project leaders listed above, or the SERV board members, to learn more about helping the APL group.
Volunteer for the Needham Science Center! It's located in Newman Elementary, which is about a 5-10 minute walk from Olin. They'll have different things they need help with each time, and there's lots of cool stuff! Like, stuffed tigers. As in, real tigers that have died and been preserved.
