Info Challenge – Volunteer

Do you have a passion for helping students work through processes and encouraging them to succeed? No data or teaching background is needed – just enthusiasm for helping students! Mentors guide student teams through the basic steps of problem-solving as they work through the challenge project.

Mentors for IC25 will have the opportunity to mentor a team for a week, or help student teams on Kick-off Day only.

Faculty, staff, industry or academic partners, alumni, or data enthusiasts, regardless of discipline, may be mentors for student teams.

• Required: Attend the Kick-off Day on March 1, 2025, 10am-3pm at the UMD Stamp Student Union.
• Optional: Attend the Mentor and Judge Info Session (Virtual) on February 21, 2025 from 3pm-5pm to learn about mentoring teams, and how the final projects will be judged.
• Optional: Volunteer to help with the Showcase & Judging Day on March 8, 2025. 

Registration opens October 15, 2024

Sign up to Mentor

Are you good at reviewing students’ work and asking thoughtful questions?

Judges evaluate the student teams’ final projects by providing valuable feedback to the student teams about their project at the Showcase & Judging Day on March 8, 2025.

Faculty, industry or academic partners who have data analysis, design, security, or AI/machine learning experience and enjoy working with students are encouraged to participate as a judge.

• Judges must have data analysis, design, security, or AI/machine learning experience.
• Judges participate as part of a judging panel.

Judges are provided a scoring rubric, which includes the project categories and the criteria for evaluation.

• Required: Attend the Judging Day on March 8, 2025, 10am-2pm at the UMD Stamp Student Union.
• Optional: Attend the Mentor and Judge Info Session on February 21, 2025 to learn more about how to judge final team projects.
• Judging criteria, procedures and schedules are emailed to judges a week before the Challenge Kick-off.
• A copy of team abstracts are provided to the judges by 12pm the day prior to the Showcase and Judging Day.

Registration opens October 15, 2024

Sign up to Judge

Who can volunteer:

• Students, faculty, and staff from any participating academic institution: University of Maryland, UMBC, Montgomery College, and US Naval Academy.
• Anyone from a partnering organization.

Benefits of volunteering:

• The satisfaction of helping to provide this valuable opportunity to challenge participants from across the state.
• Students, enhance your resume with volunteer, teamwork, and events planning experience.
• Free meals and a sporty volunteer t-shirt!

Volunteers must attend the IC25 Virtual Volunteer Info Session on February 6, 2025 from 5pm-6pm. 

Registration opens October 15, 2024

Sign up to Volunteer

Are you a student who is interested in Info Challenge but not quite ready to participate? Be a Student Volunteer!

As a Student Volunteer you will:

• Provide you an opportunity to participate in the Info Challenge as a supporter by helping with a variety of tasks such as checking in participants, handing out information, serving food, setting up and cleaning up.
• Assist the IC team before and throughout the challenge timeframe.
• Network with information professionals by interacting with partners and sponsors during the challenge activities.

Benefits of volunteering:

• The satisfaction of helping to provide this valuable opportunity to challenge participants from across the state.
• Enhance your resume with volunteer, teamwork, and events planning experience.
• Free meals and a sporty volunteer t-shirt!

Volunteers must attend the IC25 Virtual Volunteer Info Session on February 6, 2025 from 5pm-6pm. 

Registration opens October 15, 2024

Sign up as Student Volunteer