The Big Figures Way

The Big Figures Way

Enter September! At 71 North, we’re settling into the swing of this semester and looking forward to the days and weeks ahead. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting lots of new people over the past few days, and we’re excited to see more of them as classes, clubs, and programs kick into gear.

Speaking of classes, clubs, and programs, we’re celebrating the total number of activities, participants, and engagement hours completed by the studio from the last year.

Grand Totals:

• 815 activities hosted in or by the studio

• 7,360 participants in our activities

• 14,640 engagement hours from members, students, staff, and faculty alike!

We’re so proud of the people who took the time, put in the effort, and utilized their resources to make these events possible, and we’re especially grateful to the individuals who engaged with us, since you’re the reason we do what we do in the first place.

At the moment, our studio members are hard at work preparing for a number of our programs, like Tech Tacos and Huskieverse. Huskieverse will return with its Friday meetings from 3-4 PM in the Huskieverse lab (located in the 71 North studio).

We’ve made some progress with upgrading our hardware and software, as we are now in possession of a high quality Mac computer, keyboard, and several mice, which will help with everyday studio work and projects requiring such software. We remapped the repository for Tech Tacos in preparation for the new semester and also got SQL for reporting, so instead of looking at tons of raw data, we can filter and summarize it in order to make clear decisions for the studio going forward.

On the topic of tech, Tech Tacos starts up again today and will be held in the studio from 5:00-7:00 PM each Tuesday going forward! Beginners and pros can learn tons of new stuff, from coding basics to AI and trending tech innovations, all while chowing down delicious tacos. Tech Tacos is building a community and we’d love for you to join!

Similarly, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 4:30-5:30 PM, we’ll host UR2PhD information sessions in the studio’s Catalyst Lounge (the spot with the colorful chairs and couches). These sessions are a great way to learn about the program and its projects, as well as how you, as a student, can match with it and get class credit.

Speaking of classes, we will be hosting HON 310 - Breaking Barriers Through Innovation every Friday from 11-2 PM in the Opportunity Zone. Come check it out!

In other news, we’ve made some changes to the Innovation Foundry’s branding and logos. Innovation Foundry (IF) is the venture and product development program of the 71 North Partnership Studio. It is where students, faculty, staff, researchers, entrepreneurs, and community partners transform promising ideas into validated solutions, impactful products, and sustainable ventures.

The Innovation Journey organizes venture development into a supportive pathway to guide innovators. The first step is SPARK - discovering opportunities. Then comes FUEL, where the innovator must validate their solution, and FiRe, the final stage, is where the innovator builds, launches, and grows their project.

Here are their new designs. Note how “IF” shows through each logo, how the color changes as the journey continues, and how each step builds on the last.

We’re so excited to bring these changes to the Innovation Foundry, and we hope you enjoy them, too! Whether you’re thinking about launching a startup, commercializing research, solving a community challenge, or something else entirely, Innovation Foundry is here to help structure your path from possibility to reality.

One of our studio members has a brand new book available! Written by Dr. Lynn Herrmann, professor in NIU’s College of Health and Human Sciences, and illustrated by J.A. Allen, an NIU alum and visual learning innovator, Camp Kids in Motion explores exercise at Camp Move Around. As Lotti, Tully, Piper, and JP play games and run relay races, they learn about how their bodies adapt to movement - think breath and heart rate, sweat, and hydration - all presented in a way every age group can understand. If you’re able to support these NIU Huskies, click this link above to purchase Camp Kids in Motion!

71 North has a brand new podcast coming out - 71 North Our Way! We’re creating weekly episodes (with AI assistance) in an effort to communicate the studio’s culture and promote its programs. The question posed by our latest episode:

What turns a curious young game maker into a developer others trust under pressure and a mentor preparing the project for the people who come next?

If you’re more of a reader than a listener, check out Santos’ Story on our website!

Starting this fall, 71 North Partnership Studio will host the Undergraduate Research to PhD (UR2PhD) program, expanding opportunities for students to develop research, mentoring, and leadership skills while strengthening the future research workforce.

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students can gain hands-on experience through research preparation and training courses, workshops on research careers and graduate school pathways, and funding opportunities that help them continue their research experiences.

Prior research experience is not required for acceptance to the program. The course culminates in the creation of a research proposal that we hope students implement after the course concludes. To apply for the Undergraduate Research Training Course, click on this link.

Graduate Students

Graduate students can strengthen their leadership and mentoring skills through a synchronous virtual mentorship training course that is designed to guide students in developing an effective and personalized mentoring philosophy. Participants will have the opportunity to connect with peers from universities across the country and earn a course completion certificate. If eligible, graduate students who successfully complete the course will be compensated with a stipend of $1,000. To apply, click on this link.

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