Pavlis Honors College Blog

GivePulse at Tech

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GivePulse Background

GivePulse is an online platform that connects non-profit agencies, student groups, universities and more to their community. The online portal easily allows organizations to list, find, and create events in the area, as well as measure the impact being made within the community. Students can use GivePulse to find volunteer opportunities, projects and beneficial partnerships.

GivePulse at Tech

Since the start of the fall semester, we have 850 users who have devoted 2,068 hours and 729 impacts to the community. According to GivePulse, this has created a total economic impact of $56,254. There are currently five ongoing opportunities for students to sign up with including working with HuskyFAN. We have 42 affiliated community organizations to reach out to if you have a special interest in volunteering or collaborating on a project.

This year we were able to house the registration and site matching through GivePulse for our Make a Difference Day, National Day of Service event. Make a Difference Day 2020 had 590 volunteers at 71 service locations. Service locations were located from Chassell all the way to Calumet. Student volunteers were able to rake and winterize for local residents, tear out the old carpet for the women’s shelter, and organize the local food pantry.  Despite the weather (snow), students still showed up and showed their tenacity.

Other past events included the Red Cross Blood Drive, wood chopping for Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, Adopt-a-Highway clean up, and Keweenaw Day volunteering. 

Creating Your User Account

There are two main ways you can log in and create your User Account on GivePulse.

The first way is through Involvement Link.

Log in to Involvement Link

Click on the Service Tab

Service Opportunities will be published from GivePulse on Involvement Link. You will be able to search by date, causes, and type. Click on the opportunity you are interested in registering for and you will be brought to the GivePulse Database. First-time users will be prompted to set up their user account.

The second way to create your account is by going to GivePulse  on your web browser.

Click Log in via MTU
Sign in with your Michigan Tech ISO and password.

Registering For Volunteer Opportunities

Once your user account is set up with GivePulse, you can start registering for events/volunteering opportunities.

Find the opportunity you would like to volunteer for and click the green Register button. Depending on the opportunity you may need to answer different registration questions. You will receive an email once you have completed registering.

Impacts

Impact is the term used to describe all the potential ways you will be engaging with the community. An impact can be funds donated, funds raised, goods donated, hours trained, or volunteer hours served.

Whether you have served your community at an event you found through GivePulse at Michigan Tech or you volunteered on your own, you can track your impacts.

Log in to your GivePulse Account and click the green Add Impact button. This is your opportunity to reflect and track on your community engagement experience.

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SURFs open for 2021

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Applications for 2021 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURFs) are now open. Fellowship recipients will spend the summer on an individual research project under the guidance of a Michigan Tech faculty mentor. SURFs are open to all Tech undergraduates who have at least one semester remaining after the summer term. Awards are up to $4,000.

How to apply

Applications are due by 4 p.m. on February 12, 2021. For more information on the SURF application process, watch the workshop video included on this page. To access application materials and instructions, visit the SURF webpage. If you have any questions, contact surf@mtu.edu. 

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Meet Anderson Lind…

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By Dean Lahti

Michigan Tech is a community for students who are driven to learn and succeed. Anderson Lind came to Michigan Tech with ambitious goals and has contributed to the Michigan Tech community through the Pavlis Honors College.

Lind, a third-year management student, is currently a resident advisor in the Pavlis Living and Learning Community (LLC), located in Wadsworth Hall and dedicated to about seventy first-year students in the Pavlis Honors College’s early admission program. He said that the Pavlis community has persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic due to their camaraderie and willingness to take on more than what the university requires.

Secret Santa night in the Pavlis Living and Learning Community

He joined the Pavlis Honors College during his first year at Michigan Tech, on the recommendation of one of his friends. “I wouldn’t be here, at Tech or in Pavlis, if it wasn’t for Maddie Thompson,” said Lind.

An RA with Recognition

Lind is also a decorated student. He had recently been awarded a Golden MOWII pin from the Great Lakes Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (GLACURH) region for his involvement in the 2020 Virtual Regional Leadership Conference. His hall previously won the Residential Community of the Month award for their participation in Michigan Tech’s K-Day event in Chassell, Michigan. Lind also won the annual Exceptional Enthusiasm as a Student Leader award through Michigan Tech. 

“My favorite thing about the LLC is having a space where people can talk to each other, build each other up, and create a community that’s really their own.”

Students in matching jerseys hold broomball sticks in front of a food trailer
Anderson Lind (second from left) is a third-year management student, resident assistant, and broomball pro

Research and Honors Project

In addition to serving as an RA, Lind serves as a research intern with the College of Business, where he is currently researching how to improve college and community engagement with high school students, with support from local organizations such as the Portage Health Foundation and the Copper Country Intermediate School District. Lind said, “Our research team has been speaking with these organizations to see what resources in the community exist for college education and where there could be gaps.”

See Anderson’s honors project proposal

Why Pavlis?

When asked why students should join the Pavlis Honors College, he said, “Pavlis is hard work, actively seeking your dreams, and finding ways to give back to your community. If any of that appeals to you, then you know you’re on the right track.” 

“We did a lot of reflecting on values in HON2150, and it made me realize that most of my values are around community and building other people up. [Pavlis] made me change my career goals. I came to Tech planning to be an engineer, to make money, and experience life after my 9 to 5 was over. Reflecting made me realize that life is short, and I want to make sure I’m making friends, helping people, and being someone that other people can turn to when they’re struggling. It’s shaped me fundamentally. I don’t mind where I end up, as long as I’ve done good things recklessly and spread joy that way.”

For more information about the Honors Pathway Program, visit www.mtu.edu/honors/pathway.

This piece is part of our student profile series by Dean Lahti, guest writer and current Michigan Tech student.

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Darnishia Slade appointed to Michigan Community Service Commission

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Darnishia L. Slade has been appointed to a three-year term with the Michigan Community Service Commission, representing fellow experts in the delivery of human, educational, environmental, or public safety services to communities and individuals.

The Michigan Community Service Commission strives to build a culture of service by providing vision and resources to strengthen communities through volunteerism. The Commission develops a three-year comprehensive national and community service plan for the state that shall be updated annually, oversees and submits the state’s applications to the Corporation for National and Community Service and other public and private funding sources, establishes policies and procedures for the use of federal funds, and develops initiatives to promote community service in coordination with existing programs.

Dar Slade

“I am honored to receive this appointment from Governor Whitmer!” said Slade. “I am ready to roll my sleeves up and do the work of continuing to make Michigan one of the nation’s leading state service commissions and a model state for volunteerism. I believe that through volunteerism lives are enriched, cultural understanding is exchanged, and lasting partnerships are established.”

Lorelle Meadows, dean of the Pavlis Honors College, says “Dar is an excellent individual to serve the State of Michigan in this way.  She has the depth of knowledge, experience, and passion to make an impact on community service outcomes so important to our state at this time.”

Slade is an instructor, advisor, and the manager of global engagement programs for Pavlis Honors College. She is a member of the IDEAhub Leadership Team and an organization advisor for the Society of Intellectual Sisters and Canterbury House.

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Darnishia Slade appointed to Michigan Community Service Commission

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Darnishia L. Slade has been appointed to a three-year term with the Michigan Community Service Commission, representing fellow experts in the delivery of human, educational, environmental, or public safety services to communities and individuals.

The Michigan Community Service Commission strives to build a culture of service by providing vision and resources to strengthen communities through volunteerism. The Commission develops a three-year comprehensive national and community service plan for the state that shall be updated annually, oversees and submits the state’s applications to the Corporation for National and Community Service and other public and private funding sources, establishes policies and procedures for the use of federal funds, and develops initiatives to promote community service in coordination with existing programs.

Dar Slade

“I am honored to receive this appointment from Governor Whitmer!” said Slade. “I am ready to roll my sleeves up and do the work of continuing to make Michigan one of the nation’s leading state service commissions and a model state for volunteerism. I believe that through volunteerism lives are enriched, cultural understanding is exchanged, and lasting partnerships are established.”

Lorelle Meadows, dean of the Pavlis Honors College, says “Dar is an excellent individual to serve the State of Michigan in this way.  She has the depth of knowledge, experience, and passion to make an impact on community service outcomes so important to our state at this time.”

Slade is an instructor, advisor, and the manager of global engagement programs for Pavlis Honors College. She is a member of the IDEAhub Leadership Team and an organization advisor for the Society of Intellectual Sisters and Canterbury House.

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Meet Lexi Steve…

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A woman sits on a stone wall overlooking a Spanish town.
Always ready for the next experience, Lexi also spent a term studying abroad in Spain.

By Dean Lahti

The Pavlis Honors College fosters and promotes our future leaders – Lexi Steve serves as an excellent example for the program.

Steve, a fifth-year mechanical engineering student, joined the Pavlis Honors College’s Honors Pathway Program during her second year at Michigan Tech. Steve said that she applied because of the travel experiences and leadership opportunities that the program had to offer.

Leadership is nothing new to Lexi. Steve received an Undergraduate Research Internship Program (URIP) award as well as a scholarship from the Dean of Students. She used her undergraduate research internship to establish a program in hydroponic research. As a member of the Green Campus Enterprise, Steve is involved in designing and building a tiny house that focuses on sustainable living in Bete Grise.

An indoor hydroponic garden
A hydroponic garden in Michigan Tech’s Sustainability Demonstration House, one of Lexi’s environmentally focused endeavors.

She said that her motivation for her endeavors at Michigan Tech comes organically. “Hardly any of these were planned,” Steve said. “I’m a bit of a social butterfly, so it’s easy for me to hear and learn about a lot of events and organizations MTU and Pavlis have to offer.” 

A group of elementary school-aged children in Peru, standing next to planters made of two liter soda bottles.
Working on a vertical gardening system with students in Peru

For her immersion experience through the Pavlis Honors College, Steve was part of a group that went to Peru. During her time in the country, she and her teammate used their training in design thinking to help the community refocus on how to communicate and support each other to the fullest. One of the projects that came out of that was a vertical gardening system that utilized old soda bottles filled with dirt and flowers at a local school mentoring program. It gave the kids something to take care of and added a bit of color to the area they were living.

She said that her volunteer experience in Peru was unique. “We formed a community there and it made me passionate about what Pavlis had to offer.”

These unique experiences through the Pavlis Honors College have allowed Steve to contribute to local and global communities. She is continuing her sustainability efforts at Michigan Tech through starting an organization called Students for Sustainability. The group has established a mini-composting project in partnership with Apple Acre Farms. This project focuses on community improvement through reducing food waste. 

A group completes an obstacle course
From classes like HON 2150 (pictured here), to exploring the world, Pavlis will help you find and build your community.

With graduation in the near future, Steve said that the networking opportunities that she has experienced through the Pavlis Honors College have prepared her for the future. “The staff at Pavlis is there to support students,” she said. “They give you the tools that you need for success.”

Steve recommends the Honors Pathway Program because it “is a great space to open up your mind and take advantage of the experiences that the program offers.”

For more information about the Honors Pathway Program, visit www.mtu.edu/honors/pathway. 

This piece is part of our student profile series by Dean Lahti, guest writer and current Michigan Tech student.

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