{"id":12424,"date":"2025-05-27T09:09:50","date_gmt":"2025-05-27T14:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin-new\/?post_type=campus_story&p=12424"},"modified":"2025-05-27T09:09:50","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T14:09:50","slug":"nonprof-it-celebrates-a-decade-of-giving-back-to-milwaukee","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/nonprof-it-celebrates-a-decade-of-giving-back-to-milwaukee\/","title":{"rendered":"Nonprof-IT celebrates a decade of giving back to Milwaukee"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Image<\/a><\/p>\n

In 2013, Adam Hudson, teaching faculty at UWM\u2019s School of Information Studies, was looking for ways to incorporate real-world, hands-on learning for students along with a way to better connect UWM and the school to the nonprofit community.<\/p>\n

Working closely with Richard Kessler, the school\u2019s development officer, and with the help of the now shuttered Center for Urban Initiatives and Research, the Nonprof-IT program soon was born.<\/p>\n

The program\u00a0will have its annual showcase<\/a>\u00a0of the year\u2019s projects on Tuesday, May 6, celebrating its 10th<\/sup>year of showcases.<\/p>\n

The purpose of Nonprof-IT is to deliver real world experience to information science and technology students at UWM. By partnering with local nonprofits, usually a new one each semester, alongside a variety of business mentors dedicated to helping students learn, Nonprof-IT has grown into an important program within the College of Community Engagement and Professions, one with a massive portfolio of qualitative and quantitative improvements for local organizations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe University of Wisconsin\u2019s Nonprof-IT program is an invaluable gem \u2013 for both the students who participate and the nonprofit organizations they serve,\u201d said Sue Barthelemy, a business mentor from HSA Bank in Milwaukee. \u201cIt creates a unique space where learning meets real-world impact, bridging the gap between education and community need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Addressing critical needs<\/h2>\n

This sentiment was seconded by Christina Chronister, communications specialist at the Dominican Center in Milwaukee. \u201cOne pivotal contribution was a comprehensive cybersecurity initiative, complete with staff training, that has transformed how we protect data and collaborate as a team. Each project has directly addressed a critical need.\u201d<\/p>\n

Over the years, Nonprof-IT students have also built a website for the Dominican Center\u2019s community association, Armani United. \u201cThe website now serves as a digital gathering space where residents can access resources, stay informed, and even watch community meetings live,\u201d Chronister said.<\/p>\n

Currently, Hudson and Julie Walker anchor Nonprof-IT. Hudson, who has taught at UWM since 2011, has watched with pride as the program has grown.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the beginning, there were no assigned class times to the Nonprof-IT course, which made it difficult for me to manage schedules and projects,\u201d said Hudson, director of Nonprof-IT and a senior lecturer in the School of Information Studies.<\/p>\n

Grant spurs growth<\/h2>\n

In 2016, Nonprof-IT received a generous grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation that allowed the program to expand and hire a graduate assistant. \u201cSo, we grew from assisting two nonprofits with six students in Fall 2014 to the now sustainable level of 32 students and 8-10 nonprofits.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Walker came aboard in 2016, she immediately helped to integrate business mentors, \u201cwhich have been hugely successful,\u201d Hudson said. Each business mentor has a handful of touchpoints with students during the semester and will eventually host the cohort at their own business for further engagement.<\/p>\n

\u201cNonprof-IT allows students who are not able to participate in an off-campus internship gain real-world experience as part of their coursework,\u201d Walker said. By hosting the students at each individual business, the mentors help students network, gain new skills, receive feedback and brainstorm new ideas for business solutions or nonprofits to assist.<\/p>\n

Cindy Larson, senior product manager at the Crisis Prevention Institute, serves the program as a business mentor. She says that not only do students gain hand-on experience through Nonprof-IT coursework, but they also end up teaching everyone involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey broaden my network, and they come from such diverse backgrounds. Depending on what specifically they are studying, where they came from, or where they want to go, they help me see digital products through new and fresh lenses,\u201d Larson said.<\/p>\n

A big impact on students<\/h2>\n

The importance of this program is not lost on its student participants. Ryan Olow, a Fall 2024 semester participant, said that the program can make a big impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe technology sector can make all the difference in how a business is performing. When we were brought onboard to redesign the\u00a0website for Ophelia Speaks<\/a>, we wanted to share the nonprofit\u2019s story in an empathetic way,\u201d Olow said.<\/p>\n

Ophelia Speaks is a local Milwaukee nonprofit working to prevent human trafficking and help survivors recover.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe work they are doing is incredibly important, and having a website that speaks to their work can be a massive benefit,\u201d Olow said. \u201cIt was an incredible opportunity to share our IT expertise with those who needed it. When an organization may lack the direct knowledge to implement the technical solutions themselves, Nonprof-IT steps in and helps.\u201d<\/p>\n

The students completely redesigned the Ophelia Speaks website. With the advice of the business mentors, this project included a complete overhaul: replacing stock images with photos of Ophelia Speaks events, a personnel and contact page, a page dedicated to resources for those who have been trafficked, a donation page and more.<\/p>\n

At the end of the semester, the group presented their final product in a poster show.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reactions to this program have been very positive,\u201d Hudson said. \u201cUWM\u2019s Chancellor, Mark Mone, has been an advocate for the program and attended the end-of-semester showcase since 2016.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ongoing impact<\/h2>\n

But Nonprof-IT\u2019s work does not necessarily end when the semester ends. For example, Vangthy Lee, who worked with Olow on the Ophelia Speaks project, has continued to volunteer with the organization after the semester ended.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis March, I volunteered every Saturday for four weeks, developing and teaching an IT-focused curriculum for youth,\u201d Lee said. \u201cWe covered topics like coding, web design, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and public speaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nonprof-IT is one of only a few similar programs in the nation, according to Hudson.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudent and alumni exit data have demonstrated great outcomes from participation in Nonprof-IT,\u201d Hudson said. \u201cParticipants have reported that Nonprof-IT and the work involved have helped graduates to land first jobs out of college, teambuilding and teamwork skills, improved public speaking abilities, and much more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lee agreed: \u201cAll in all, Nonprof-IT is a must-take program, especially for IST majors. It equips you with both technical and interpersonal skills, and it\u2019s a fun, community-connected experience. As someone born and raised in Milwaukee, giving back to my community through this program was incredibly fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Written by Al Dickenson<\/p>\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/nonprof-it-celebrates-a-decade-of-giving-back-to-milwaukee\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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