DECEMBER 17, 2024 — The UTSA School of Data Science (SDS) is accepting applications for the 2025 Data Science & AI Community Innovation Scholars (CIS) program. Launched in 2024 with support from H-E-B and in partnership with United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, this program is open to UTSA undergraduate students of all majors and offers a paid 10-week internship focused on applying data science skills to support local nonprofits.
After a successful inaugural year, and based on feedback from participating students and nonprofits, the Community Innovation Scholars program is expanding for 2025, says SDS Senior Program Manager Lizet Casas.
“With our first year completed, we better understand how we can support students and the needs of our partners,” she said. “This year, we’re confident we can support even more students and nonprofit organizations.”
The number of participating students will grow from 12 to 20 in 2025.
Students will also dedicate significantly more time to their internship sites compared to last year, when they spent one day per week onsite and the other days engaged in mentorship, learning activities and collaboration. Additionally, participants will complete a Signature Experience course prior to the start of the summer internship. According to Casas, this course is designed to help students hit the ground running and fully benefit from the program’s initial two-week training. Because of this extra time commitment, the program stipend will increase from $3,000 to $4,000.
As the number of students increases, the program will also expand its nonprofit partnerships. In addition to the United Way nonprofits, organizers will select two additional programs through a proposal process open from Friday, December 6, 2024, to Friday, January 10, 2025. Final sites and projects will be announced by the School of Data Science on Monday, January 27, 2025.
While the CIS program is expanding in scope, its core mission remains unchanged: providing undergraduate students with hands-on data science-experience while making a real-world impact in the community.
“The specifics behind our goal will depend on the individual nonprofits involved, but the overarching idea is to use data science tools and techniques to improve the way these nonprofits work,” Casas said. “The goal is for students to identify data gaps and generate innovative ideas that influence how clients are served and shape the types of services provided.”
The 2025 program has been evolved to address feedback from the CIS program’s inaugural cohort and their nonprofit partners. For example, Casas says students frequently brought up the bonds they forged over the summer as they worked together, from showing up early to campus for coffee to sharing meals and even planning road trips together. Casas says that this type of teambuilding will be even more of a focus in 2025.
In addition, Casas says the next iteration of the program will provide for closer collaboration between the nonprofit partners and the program’s faculty advisors. This move is aimed at enhancing the quality of data available to students and, as a result, boosting the impact of the students’ work to further advance the nonprofits’ missions.
“I’d like to see national and international students invited to apply so that our Roadrunners can expand their networks, and our program can expand its reach,” she said. “It would also be great to develop parts of the program that are student-led so that there is even greater investment in the longevity of the program.”
While the CIS program may continue grow, Casas hopes that it remains a personalized program for UTSA students and the San Antonio nonprofits they help.
“This first cohort showed humility, growth, curiosity, caring and a kindness that made our program magic,” she said. “I hope that we can recreate that magic for future cohorts.”
Student applications for the 2025 cohort are due on December 20, 2024.
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