School of Education | Research, Discovery, and Innovation (RDI) | Impact Through Innovation (ITI) | Spartan Innovation Box

Spartan Innovation Box

A preview of some possible contents available in a Spartan Innovation Box

ITI is committed to training students to be the innovators of the future. In the world of work employees are called upon to solve problems, generate ideas and drive change. There are few opportunities to practice this as a student…until now!

Impact Through Innovation Initiative presents…. Spartan Innovation Box!

What is Spartan Innovation Box?

Spartan Innovation Box is literally a box stuffed with guidance, resources, and a Visa® gift card to help students identify, fine-tune, test and develop innovative ideas. Students are encouraged to use the Student Educator Learning Factory (SELF) Design Studio tools and community to turn their ideas into a reality. Spartan Innovation Box prompts students to learn and practice innovative thinking, which they can then apply in future pursuits, transforming not just themselves but also the organizations they serve. When a faculty member includes a Kickbox project in a course, their students learn to innovate.

Is funding available?

Yes! The Spartan Innovation Box includes a $250 pre-paid Visa® card that can be used anywhere credit cards are accepted. Funds are intended to help students make their ideas a reality. Reaching that goal can include:

  • Purchasing materials, software and/or tools
  • Arranging a lunch meeting to seek advice from professionals/peers
  • Attending a workshop
  • Traveling to a conference or meet-up

What are the rules?

To make the process as simple as possible, we give students a great deal of freedom regarding how funds are spent. As long as students can justify expenses, then purchases are okay. (Purchases of illegal substances and weapons are prohibited.) In exchange for this freedom, students are required to track their expenses in an Excel spreadsheet (included in the Spartan Innovation Box) and to submit all receipts. Students may be required to pay back any funds that are not accompanied by a receipt.

Who owns the purchases?

Students maintain ownership of their ideas and anything they build as part of this project. In addition, students are welcome to keep any materials they purchase for Spartan Innovation Box. Any tools purchased (e.g., a soldering iron, a power drill, an oscilloscope used to measure electrical signals) should be returned to the Student Educator Learning Factory (SELF) Design Studio for use by other School of Education makers. For any questions about what items should be returned, please contact the Student Educator Learning Factory (SELF) Design Studio.

WHAT IF A PROJECT “FAILS”?

That’s okay. Failure is a natural part of making something new. It’s expected. The important thing is for students to learn from these failures to better prepare for future projects. Regardless of the project’s outcome, all students are required to complete all of the Spartan Innovation Box deliverables, including regular updates on project status and a presentation about what went well, what went wrong and how it could be fixed.

WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF THE Spartan Innovation Box PROJECT?

Participating students will be invited to present their projects to their classmates and possibly at a Student Innovation celebration. In addition, participating students:

  • Will receive a Spartan Innovation Box digital badge for use on online resumes, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms.
  • May be featured on the School of Education Impact Through Innovation blog, podcast or website.
  • Are welcome to continue developing and refining their projects. Additional funding for projects may be available, so please ask!

Student Projects

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