New Year-long Business Courses Offer UofL Students Immersive Opportunities

Undergraduate students at the University of Louisville have begun delving into real-world initiatives while earning college credit in two new two-semester courses, “Elevator” and “Sandbox.”

Students enrolled in Elevator are working in small groups to lead real change in the Louisville community.

In the Elevator class, teams of students majoring in business administration, communications, criminal justice, management, sociology, sustainability or urban studies work at least 24 hours per week with local organizations to improve some aspect of life for Louisville residents. The students receive mentorship throughout the class from professional experts and faculty.

In the current Elevator class, four groups of students are working on projects to implement change in various areas of Louisville:

• Collaborate with Feed Louisville to reduce hunger in the city by identifying untapped sources of surplus food as well as areas of high food insecurity where needs are not being met. The team plans to then connect the sources of food with areas of need to close hunger gaps in the city.
• Grow Da Lat’s Gateaux and Café, a Vietnamese restaurant on the south side of Louisville, by increasing revenue, launching a digital presence and improving training for new employees. They also plan to explore options for a second location.
• Enhance the health and well-being of Louisville residents through the development, improvement and maintenance of greenspaces across the city. The group is working with members of the Greenprint initiative and the UofL Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute to help coordinate efforts among greening organizations.
• Reduce loneliness among seniors in the city with practical, community-grounded interventions. Working with the Envirome Institute, the students will conduct surveys, focus groups and interviews with community members and then create, implement and evaluate strategies tailored to the needs of the specific communities.

Upon completion of the class, students receive access to the Elevator network as a resource for mentorship and job placement. Elevator is supported by the Bufford Family Foundation and managed by the Center for Positive Leadership at the UofL College of Business.

If you’d like to explore how Elevator students can help facilitate change within your organization or community, contact the Center For Positive Leadership at CPL@louisville.edu.

Read more about Elevator and Sandbox