Information for Prospective Participants

Our SIP initiative provides an opportunity for Harvard undergrads to grow their technical expertise, develop skills in teamwork and interpersonal management, and apply their academic knowledge to benefit organization focused on positive social change.  We welcome students of all technical backgrounds; whether you’re considering taking CS50 in the Fall, or whether you have multiple internships on your resume, we will find you a project and team position where you can thrive and grow.  To learn more about SIPs, please read below or send us an email at harvardd4d@gmail.com. Our application is now live and available here. It is due on Wednesday, Sept. 26th by 5pm.

The sip experience

SIPs are semester-long projects which will benefit organizations that do good around the world.  As part of a SIP, you’ll be a member of a team which will develop software (likely a web platform, app, or data analysis tool) that boosts the impact of the organization your team is working with.  Each team is lead by a project manager, who is in charge of setting project goals, delegating work, ensuring that work is accomplished in a timely manner, and coordinating with their team’s partnering organization.  Over the course of the semester, SIP teams typically meet once per week, and in addition, several general meetings for all teams will be held to track progress and allow for inter-team collaboration.

how you can benefit

  1. Build your technical repertoire. While SIP projects are meant to be accomplished in a semester, they are also supposed to be challenging, interesting problems which can help team members grow. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about entirely new paradigms and to think critically about how to build complex, technical systems.

  2. Gain valuable teamwork skills. Being part of a team can be a challenge, but it can also be incredibly rewarding. SIPs allow you the opportunity figure out what it’s like to be on a team before stepping into the real world, or to grow the teamwork skills you’ve already acquired in a space where you can take on more responsibility than may be possible at a larger company.

  3. Learn from others interested in tech for good. SIP team members often have prior experience applying technology to social problems, so as a team member you’ll have an opportunity to learn from their perspectives. Also, as a SIP team member you’ll be encouraged to take part in D4D’s broader programming in the Harvard community, such as opportunities to listen to speakers who use technology for good.

  4. Grow your resume. This year, we plan to open all SIP projects to the public through open Github repositories. Many companies like to see evidence of your past technical work, so this provides a perfect opportunity to build your resume while doing something helpful for the world.

Get Involved

If you’re interested in joining a SIP, feel free to shoot us an email at harvardd4d@gmail.com to learn more.  If you’re ready to apply, our application is due on Wednesday, Sept. 26th at 5pm, and is available here: http://tiny.cc/joinsip. We hope to hear from you soon!