Georgia Institute of Technology: Bike Share Program
Ford C3 allowed the Georgia Institute of Technology to team up with Emory University to develop an innovative urban bike sharing program. Using a unique, automated bike lock designed at Georgia Tech, this new system incorporated the functions of a bike-rack and check-out kiosk into a single, bike-mounted component, removing the need for costly infrastructure installations.
Users access available bikes by entering a PIN number into a keypad on the bike itself and can re-engage the smart lock to secure the bicycle when returning it. All bikes have the capability to transmit location and user information, so users and operators always know which bikes are free and where they can find them.
Georgia Institute of Technology was a 2009 winner of the Ford College Community Challenge.
Georgia Institute of Technology developed a bike-share program that utilized a mounted component on the bike frame to transmit location and user information, eliminating the need for costly bike rack installations.
Michigan Technological University: Winterization Project
Michigan Technological University used the Ford C3 program to expand a winterization project for low-income elderly residents in the community. The project brought together college students participating in the Efficiency Through Engineering and Construction Enterprise with New Power Tour, Inc. The non-profit organization is devoted to increasing the use of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies, and creating community programs that reach out to at-risk high school students.
Through this partnership,elderly residents were able to make their homes more energy-efficient for winter. This strengthened the foundations of a sustainable community, defined as one where residents are responsive to needs of those less fortunate and understand that their community is no stronger than the most vulnerable among them.
Read: Helping to stay warm
Watch: Efficiency Through Engineering Construction Slideshow
Michigan State University: Export Growth Program
Through this program, Michigan State University International Business students assisted small and medium-sized companies in developing export plans for their products and services and provided help to implement those plans.
Key to this program was the cutting-edge knowledge of newly educated students with the proper international training and experiences. Local companies developed and implemented an exporting program, in partnership with the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce, in order to become more competitive and reach the international market.
Read: Michigan Export Growth Platform Article
For their project, Michigan State University utilized the expertise of their students to help local businesses implement an export program, assisting them with becoming more competitive in the international market.
For their project, Michigan State University utilized the expertise of their students to help local businesses implement an export program, assisting them with becoming more competitive in the international market.
For their project, Michigan State University utilized the expertise of their students to help local businesses implement an export program, assisting them with becoming more competitive in the international market.
University of Michigan-Dearborn: Bakery Business Growth and Education Project
Faculty and students from the College of Business at the University of Michigan-Dearborn worked with the Capuchin Soup Kitchen of Detroit to provide assistance with business operations, growth strategy, and employee education.
The project focused on helping the soup kitchen develop and evaluate the growth of its “On the Rise Bakery” —an initiative that anchors a successful rehabilitation program for formerly homeless or incarcerated men. The team of students and faculty created strategic and operational plans and delivered business education and training for bakery employees to help ensure the success of their growing business.
In partnership with Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit, U of M’s faculty and students evaluated and built the capacity of the “On the Rise Bakery.”
“On the Rise Bakery” is a program that rehabilitates formerly homeless or incarcerated men and the U of M faculty and students assisted with strategic planning and training for the men in the program.
University of Illinois: Energy Efficiency Project
University of Illinois students used the Ford C3 program to utilize information technology in order to increase energy efficiency in Champaign-Urbana. The project’s main goal was to create an energy utilization database of all apartments in the Champaign-Urbana community, where potential residents could check the efficiency of an apartment before they decide to sign a lease.
The project encouraged landlords and tenants make their properties more energy-efficient by allowing them to request a free energy audit performed by student-led audit teams. The teams also distributed efficient power strips and light bulbs.
