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.

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

• Attend the Kick-off Day on February 25, 2023, 11am-3pm @ the UMD Student Union.
• Be available to your team by email throughout the week of February 26 – March 4, 2023.
• Optional: Attend the Mentor and Judge Info Session on February 10, 2023 from 3-6pm at the UMD Student Union to get tips and ideas for managing a team, and mingle with other mentors and judges.
• Optional: Volunteer to help with the Showcase & Judging Day on March 4, 2023. You will also get the chance to cheer on your team as they present to the judges and other data enthusiasts!

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 4, 2023.

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

• Judges must have data analysis, cybersecurity or design 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.

• 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.
• Optional: Attend the Mentor and Judge Info Session on February 10, 2023 to learn more about how to be a judge and mingle with other judges and mentors.

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 IC23 Virtual Volunteer Info Session on February 7, 2023 from 5-6pm. 

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!

Student Volunteers must attend the IC23 Virtual Volunteer Info Session on February 7, 2023 from 5-6pm. 

Sign up as Student Volunteer