Last weekend marked the start of a new program at Trinity Hall called the HUMM Institute, a student entrepreneurial workshop started by Trinity Hall faculty members Erin Straine and Kali Lambrou. The program serves to encourage students to solve community problems using creative thinking. Erin Straine explained, “its inception was created by Kali and I to educate our students on how to explore entrepreneurship, collaboration, community partnerships and human-centered design.”
Ten sophomores gathered on campus to participate in the first workshop centered around landscape design. The students were tasked with designing an open lawn area on Trinity Hall’s campus in order to better serve the community. After splitting up into two groups, the students surveyed the opportunity area with the help of a group of experts and community partners. Amanda D’Addario and Chris Cole from Metrovation, a property management company, along with consulting business owner Christine Cofone (P ‘23) worked with the students to help them imagine how the open space could be filled. The students also heard from Trinity Hall alumna Olivia DeNicola ‘18 who is a current senior at Bucknell University and recently won an entrepreneurial pitch competition for an app concept she developed.
After taking into consideration the opportunity area, the expertise of the community partners and their own thoughts about what is needed on campus, the team sketched their designs adding features such as gazebos, seating areas and gardens. They then pitched their designs to their peers, faculty members and the community partners explaining their choices and the steps they would take to construct their design. One team’s design was chosen to be executed on campus, and both teams will work together to bring their design to life. Trinity Hall’s landscape will soon be enhanced by the design features pitched by HUMM Institute participants.
The following are testimonials from the sophomore participants:
Sophia M.: “I absolutely loved my experience at the HUMM Institute. It opened my eyes to a whole other field of professions that I never thought possible.”
Rachel G.: “The HUMM Institute workshop was a great success and experience. I was able to learn the fundamentals of architecture and leadership.”
Sophia R.: “Working with our community partners definitely influenced our final design. Their professional expertise and advice were vital to allowing us to look at the creative space through a new lens and with different perspectives. We are grateful they showed us that entrepreneurial design is so much more than what meets the eye.”
Madeline W.: “My favorite part of this workshop was the voting at the end because the information provided by the judges was helpful for all groups.”
Emma Grace P.: “My favorite part of the workshop was creating and drawing up our design for the landscape… It was so fun working with my partners and being able to collaborate with our ideas to come out with an amazing product.”
Lily M.: “I really enjoyed working with my peers to collaborate and create a landscape design that would be unique and functional for the school… Overall, it was an incredibly rewarding experience. I felt a strong sense of accomplishment and was excited and honored to be a part of this inaugural Trinity Hall program.”