Design Connect is excited to share the projects for this semester with you, and open up applications for Project Managers!
With the semester around the corner, the Design Connect Board is looking for some motivated and passionate individuals to lead our project teams this spring. If you have participated in Design Connect before, have a background in design or team leadership, or feel like you want to use the opportunity to build those skills, Design Connect is the place for you. It doesn't matter what your major is or if you have a background in design. We accept undergraduate and graduate students.
Project Managers are responsible for managing teams between 7-10 people in order to complete one of the semester-long projects listed below. They are expected to take this course for 4 academic credits, which can count as a workshop class for many academic majors. A week in a Project Manager's life includes coordinating the design process, delegating out tasks to your team, meeting with the Board and other Project Managers to discuss strategy, consulting with an academic advisor, and connecting with your community partner. At the end of the semester, you'll have a deliverable that can be included in your portfolio, and real project manager experience. Apply for a Project Manager position today! We ask that all applications be submitted by January 22nd by midnight. If you have any questions, shoot Natalie Deduck, Co-Chair of the Board, an email at nd422@cornell.edu.
Here are our projects!
· Chenango Greenway Quarry in Norwich has been unofficially used as public space for generations. The private owner recently put this property up for sale, and the community raised the funds to purchase the land, forever preserving it as public recreation space. There's an amazing video about the land's history and journey to reclaim it on the website linked above. The non-profit is interested in how to formalize the entryway and mountain top into functional and accessible community space.
· St. Thomas Church in Bath is a social justice oriented, community based church that is committed to using all of their space for the community. Currently, the church grounds has a community garden that donates its produce to the local food pantry. They are interested in working with Design Connect to expand and improve their community garden, as well as introduce other designs to the space to improve their connection to the community and their ability to be of service.
· Barnes-Hiscock Mansion in Syracuse is the last of the great mansions along James Street. The Foundation that manages the site's museum is interested in working with Design Connect to restore the grounds to the original gardens that were once on the property. They also hope the design can support their increasing need for outdoor events in our COVID-world, including ways to educate the public about the building's rich history as a site on the Underground Railroad.
· Montour Falls is a historic village with an incredible waterfall, the Shequaga Falls, that overlooks their mainstreet. The village is interested in creating a complete street redesign that meets several of the town's priorities, which includes improving the pedestrian experience, increasing tourism, economically developing the downtown, mitigating traffic congestion, and connecting the bike trails from Watkins Glen into downtown. Montour Falls' Village Sustainability Committee has led the village to become a certified Climate Smart Community in 2019, which requires active compliance with the NYSERDA Clean Energy Program. They are committed to ensuring that all plans support a clean, sustainable, and equitable future for Montour Falls.
