Student Advisory Board
Student Advisory Board
One of the main goals of the student advisory board is to facilitate the development of extracurricular opportunities for LAMP students seeking to enrich their college experiences and, often times, benefit the community. The following list provides a brief overview of the major projects currently in the works.
1) The LAMP Link Newsletter is released at the end of each semester to discuss the events and happenings involving the LAMP community.
2) The Fall Philanthropy with Fairview Elementary School is an opportunity for students to raise money in order to purchase holiday gifts for children in need.
3) Volunteering at Pinnacle involves tutoring students K-12 who have been diagnosed with dyslexia or other information processing difficulties in subjects such as spelling, reading, and math.
4) The Spring Philanthropy Fundraising Events have not yet begun, but the goal is to raise money and provide scholarships for students attending Pinnacle Elementary School.
5) LAMP's Book Club is a place to not only get great book recommendations, but to participate in facilitated discussions with your peers.
6) LAMP's 21st Birthday Reunion, taking place the weekend of November 6-8, will bring in LAMP alumni so that they can see all that Indiana University and LAMP have become over the years.
For additional information regarding any of the LAMP projects above, please contact the following SAB Members in charge of the project:
LAMP Link Newsletter: Masha Puzanov at mpuzanov@indiana.edu
Fall Philanthropy: Shelley Harriman at saharrim@indiana.edu OR Kayte Earley at kmearley@indiana.edu
Volunteering at Pinnacle: Rachel Eldert at reeldert@indiana.edu
Spring Philanthropy: Austin Piech at drpiech@indiana.edu OR Rachel Eldert at reeldert@indiana.edu
LAMP Book Club: Kristen Rafdal at krafdal@indiana.edu
LAMP Alumni Reunion: Elizabeth Bercovitz at ebercovi@indiana.edu OR Kayte Early at kmearly@indiana.edu
If you have any other questions concerning the role of the SAB, please feel free to contact any of the following SAB members in addition to those listed above.
SAB President, Krista Bergman at klbergma@indiana.edu
SAB Member, Jonathan Bell at belljb@indiana.edu
SAB Member, Christen Gallagher at gallagcm@indiana.ed
SAB Member, Brad Kleinschmidt at bpkleins@indiana.edu
SAB Member, Brandon Seamon at bseamon@indiana.edu
The SAB hopes this new program will allow the SAB to better serve the LAMP community by addressing needs and issues in a timely and personal manner. Please watch for future emails and other correspondence from an SAB member.
The SAB is a serious commitment. If you get accepted to the board you will be expected to attend at least one meeting every two weeks, more depending on the time of year and projects being worked on. If you have any questions about expectations or you just want more information e-mail Krista Bergman at klbergma@indiana.edu.
The Virtù Project
Applications are currently being accepted from LAMP students who would like to join the Virtù Project. The deadline to submit your application is Thursday, November 19, 2009. Click here for application form.
In 2006 a group of LAMP students developed a novel idea. Combining their passion for helping others with their desire to stretch their educational experiences beyond the classroom, these students hoped to create and manage a philanthropic investment fund capable of sustaining healthcare initiatives in countries lacking sufficient medical resources. Now, this ingenious idea is on the verge of becoming a reality.
The Virtù Project will use pledged capital in a mock investment portfolio to raise money for a non-profit global health organization called the Timmy Foundation. Instead of assuming the inherent risks of investing large sums of money, Virtù will ask donors to pledge phantom money for investment in a mock portfolio. After a one year investment period, all of the returns made on the phantom money will then be paid directly to the Timmy Foundation by those who pledged it. So, if a donor were to pledge $10,000 and the fund yielded a 10% return after a year, the donor would write a check for $1,000. This method eliminates the risk of losing money yet still rewards performance.
The project itself will be divided into three teams, so that students may work in areas that appeal to them. The fund development team will seek out and build relationships with donors to garner pledges. The investment team will work with IU faculty and experienced investors to develop an investment strategy, analyze the market, and purchase stocks. The accountability team will prepare contracts and reports, and keep accurate records of investments, profits, and how the money is spent within the Timmy Foundation.
While fundraising for a noble cause is the primary objective of the Virtù Project, its strength lies in that it is so much more than just philanthropy. The project facilitates unique opportunities for students to develop real-world business skills.
The Virtù Project is set to become a conduit for learning and a mechanism for change. If you are interested in becoming part of Virtù, or would like more information about the project, please contact us via e-mail at virtu@indiana.edu.
