2024 Spotlight Projects
Fort Lewis College Paid Internship Program - $25,000 |
Fort Lewis College Engineering Department Design Sequence - $15,000 |
Overview
In 2023, The Moniker Foundation made a three-year commitment to Fort Lewis College to fund paid student internships and the Engineering Department's Design Sequence. This commitment reflects our interest in helping to provide Fort Lewis students with enrichment experiences that go above and beyond the typical college curriculum, and that better equip graduates for successful career transitions. We believe that investments made in Fort Lewis College, and their students, will help raise the caliber of education, attract more talent to the region, and bolster the local economy with a stronger, more well-educated workforce.
The investment in paid internships provides students with the encouragement that they need, in the form of financial incentives and an organized platform, to pursue internship opportunities while in College. We believe that although holding a regular, unrelated job while attending college certainly has its benefits, and may be necessary to most, it's also important for students to experience what a job might look like in the field of their choosing, and more simply, to experience a professional environment so that they transition more smoothly after graduation. Additionally, we realized that a barrier existed with the companies that provide these opportunities. It can be difficult for a company to justify a short-term internship every year when the costs and time commitments seemingly outweigh the benefits. We recognized that local companies need financial incentives as well to more seriously consider commitments to college interns. Therefore, we partnered with Fort Lewis College Foundation and the Career Center to build out a program that bridges students with interested companies in various fields, and we provide either full or partial funds for the internships. To date, the program has been successful in delivering the intended experiences to students, and it has garnered the interest of other donors and businesses to participate as well.
Our investment in the Engineering Design Sequence stems from our interest in hands-on, project-oriented curriculum for engineering students that has real world applications. The Design Sequence currently includes a three-credit course devoted entirely to design in sophomore and junior years, and a six-credit course sequence in the senior year, working in design groups of four to eight students. The teams make actual physical design products, instead of solely paper studies, and the groups are multidisciplinary and use industry practices to mirror how professional engineering projects reach completion. Funding for the courses/projects is critical to a successful outcome, and it goes without saying, the more funding students have to work with, the more fulfilling and enriching the experience. Moniker's board and staff were amazed at the difficulty of these courses and the quality of deliverables that students were achieving at each level. Funding in 2024 went to the recently created Design Sequence fund, which allocates donor funding to each course as the Engineering Department sees fit. The picture above on the right was taken at the 2023 Sophomore Design Sprint, which was the culmination of the course.
2024 Updates
Clean Energy Fund:
With the help of Moniker's support in 2024, FLC's Engineering Department was able to involve 15 students in a diverse range of cutting-edge clean energy projects. These initiatives not only fostered innovative research but also helped students develop practical job skills. Many of these students continue to work in the labs throughout the academic year, further deepening their expertise. The initial commitment has also enabled them to secure additional funding from multiple sources, amplifying the impact of the contribution.
Key projects supported by the Clean Energy Fund include:
Design Sequence:
The sophomore design sprint culminated in an exciting 'BattleBots-esque' competition, challenging students to create mobile systems with both offensive and defensive capabilities. This unique challenge required students to apply dynamic skills, a departure from previous static structure projects. The funding allowed FLC to provide ample resources, including consumables, food for overnight work sessions, and support staff to guide students through the process.
For the junior design course, students tackled more complex projects aimed at bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world engineering practices. These projects included designing solar-powered water systems comparable to those deployed in developing countries. The faculty leveraged their industry experience to create authentic, challenging projects that prepare students for their senior year and future careers.
As a critical partner, The Moniker Foundation has played a key role in elevating the quality of education and research in FLC's Engineering Department. While they have made significant strides, there is still more work to be done to continue pushing the boundaries of engineering education and research at Fort Lewis College.
Paid Student Internships:
In 2024, we supported 7 individual student internships with the following organizations:
In 2023, The Moniker Foundation made a three-year commitment to Fort Lewis College to fund paid student internships and the Engineering Department's Design Sequence. This commitment reflects our interest in helping to provide Fort Lewis students with enrichment experiences that go above and beyond the typical college curriculum, and that better equip graduates for successful career transitions. We believe that investments made in Fort Lewis College, and their students, will help raise the caliber of education, attract more talent to the region, and bolster the local economy with a stronger, more well-educated workforce.
The investment in paid internships provides students with the encouragement that they need, in the form of financial incentives and an organized platform, to pursue internship opportunities while in College. We believe that although holding a regular, unrelated job while attending college certainly has its benefits, and may be necessary to most, it's also important for students to experience what a job might look like in the field of their choosing, and more simply, to experience a professional environment so that they transition more smoothly after graduation. Additionally, we realized that a barrier existed with the companies that provide these opportunities. It can be difficult for a company to justify a short-term internship every year when the costs and time commitments seemingly outweigh the benefits. We recognized that local companies need financial incentives as well to more seriously consider commitments to college interns. Therefore, we partnered with Fort Lewis College Foundation and the Career Center to build out a program that bridges students with interested companies in various fields, and we provide either full or partial funds for the internships. To date, the program has been successful in delivering the intended experiences to students, and it has garnered the interest of other donors and businesses to participate as well.
Our investment in the Engineering Design Sequence stems from our interest in hands-on, project-oriented curriculum for engineering students that has real world applications. The Design Sequence currently includes a three-credit course devoted entirely to design in sophomore and junior years, and a six-credit course sequence in the senior year, working in design groups of four to eight students. The teams make actual physical design products, instead of solely paper studies, and the groups are multidisciplinary and use industry practices to mirror how professional engineering projects reach completion. Funding for the courses/projects is critical to a successful outcome, and it goes without saying, the more funding students have to work with, the more fulfilling and enriching the experience. Moniker's board and staff were amazed at the difficulty of these courses and the quality of deliverables that students were achieving at each level. Funding in 2024 went to the recently created Design Sequence fund, which allocates donor funding to each course as the Engineering Department sees fit. The picture above on the right was taken at the 2023 Sophomore Design Sprint, which was the culmination of the course.
2024 Updates
Clean Energy Fund:
With the help of Moniker's support in 2024, FLC's Engineering Department was able to involve 15 students in a diverse range of cutting-edge clean energy projects. These initiatives not only fostered innovative research but also helped students develop practical job skills. Many of these students continue to work in the labs throughout the academic year, further deepening their expertise. The initial commitment has also enabled them to secure additional funding from multiple sources, amplifying the impact of the contribution.
Key projects supported by the Clean Energy Fund include:
- Methane emissions measurements using new instrumentation
- Water quality monitoring with novel, easily distributable technology
- Generation IV nuclear reactor component design and testing
- LoRa transmission protocols for power plant cybersecurity
- Computational Fluid Dynamics research on liquid metal flows for advanced nuclear reactors
- Solar energy R&D to reduce the financial burden of solar transition
Design Sequence:
The sophomore design sprint culminated in an exciting 'BattleBots-esque' competition, challenging students to create mobile systems with both offensive and defensive capabilities. This unique challenge required students to apply dynamic skills, a departure from previous static structure projects. The funding allowed FLC to provide ample resources, including consumables, food for overnight work sessions, and support staff to guide students through the process.
For the junior design course, students tackled more complex projects aimed at bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world engineering practices. These projects included designing solar-powered water systems comparable to those deployed in developing countries. The faculty leveraged their industry experience to create authentic, challenging projects that prepare students for their senior year and future careers.
As a critical partner, The Moniker Foundation has played a key role in elevating the quality of education and research in FLC's Engineering Department. While they have made significant strides, there is still more work to be done to continue pushing the boundaries of engineering education and research at Fort Lewis College.
Paid Student Internships:
In 2024, we supported 7 individual student internships with the following organizations:
- Table to Farm Compost
- Earth Law Center
- League of Women Voters
- Restore the Balance
- San Juan Mountains Association
- SME Environmental
- Good Food Collective
Other 2024 Projects Completed
- Fort Lewis College: $20,000 matching grant for the newly created Clean Energy Fund
- Pine River Shares: $20,000 for operating expenses at The Pine River Valley Community Food Farm
- SOIL Outdoor Learning Lab: $20,000 capital support grant for Phase 2 - The Hub
- Manna: $10,000 multi-year grant for general operating support
- The Hive DGO: $6,000 for moving and renovation costs associated with new location
- Campbell Child & Family Center: $5,000 for paid internship support
- Women's Resource Center: $5,000 for Morley Empowerment Program pilot year
- Durango Adult Education Center: $2,000 matching grant for Early Childhood Education Scholarship Program
- Startup Colorado: $2,000 for West Slope Startup Week