Colorado Springs is home to several esteemed educational institution that tend tokeep to themselves. Rarely do you see the students of Colorado College, Pikes Peak Community College, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, and the United States Air Force Academy all in one place. That is, if you’re not a part of “The Quad.” Founded in 2014, this community of 40,000 students and 2,000 faculty from four different schools works together to develop solutions to community issues. On Monday, May 6, their hard work was showcased in the infamous Quad Demo Day, held from 4—6 p.m. in Cornerstone Arts Center. And, if you didn’t get a chance to attend, there’s always next year.
The Quad’s current project subfields include utilities, Venetucci Farm, Altia, food access, and affordable housing. The students within each subfield made recommendations to local organizations. Students working with Venetucci Farm made recommendations to the Pikes Peak Community Foundation for the future of the farm, including suggestions on how to replace the farm’s revenue lost when perfluorinated compounds were detected in the widefield aquifer. Additionally, students working in the food access division offered recommendations to the El Paso County Public Health Department for improving healthy food access in Colorado Springs. Students working with affordable housing focused on housing for seniors, providing an update on research and analysis. Those working in the Altia group showed a final augmented reality heads-up display market research and analysis for a local software company. Last but not least, utilities students presented final research and recommendations on how electrification will impact the future of energy in Colorado Springs. If you’re interested in joining The Quad, look into their innovation consulting, their innovation research, or their summer intensive program. Applications are open now. Read more about both at http://www.quadcos.org.
