With the culmination of the spring semester, Hillel Foundation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison continues to expand its programming and resources to prepare for the future.
The Barbara Hochberg Center for Jewish Student Life, the building that houses the Hillel, recently received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold certification. LEED is the country’s premier program for the promotion of design, construction, operation, and maintenance of green buildings.
According to Hillel executive director Greg Steinberger, “A green building was an early requirement for our students. They led the charge for sustainability, and we were glad they did. The building is marvelous, and the cost savings substantial. We are honored to be LEED certified.”
Hillel’s staff and students have further evolved Hillel’s influence by creating a phone application that connects incoming and existing students to Hillel with the swipe of a finger.
Over the course of the school year, development associate Samuel Friedman, Ph.D. 2011, and Israel Fellow Dan Landa have led efforts to develop UW Hillel Mobile. The duo worked alongside Israeli company Conduit to create features that are accessible via multiple platforms. They also engaged several students whose ideas have played an integral role in the app’s design.
UW Hillel is the only Hillel to date that boasts its own application. Some of its most popular features among its 150 users include access to Hillel’s social media pages, a live photo album to which students can contribute, a calendar of events, and a gym tracker which provides up to date calculations of the number of people utilizing Hillel’s gym at any point during the day.
Landa and Friedman will continue to develop the app with the hope of increasing its social features and functionality. Ultimately, they aim to include one tap registration and donation features as well as access to games and newsletters. Version 1.0 of UW Hillel mobile is currently available to iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows phone users.
UW Hillel is also pleased to announce that it has received a Goodman Foundation Grant. The grant will enable Hillel to hire a director of hospitality and will facilitate acquisition of new and updated equipment.
By expanding Hillel’s capacity to host large events, the grant will promote Hillel’s presence in Madison and increase the public’s access to its facility.
This coming school year, students will enjoy additional opportunities for leadership and coalition building.
The Ask Big Questions Fellowship enables five students to lead a coordinated effort to bring diverse groups of people together and lead discussions. The group is responsible for bringing together individuals of different backgrounds and perspectives in an effort to increase interactions, deepen interest in exploring important questions, and inspire activism.
The ABQ Fellows will work alongside staff members and faculty advisors to promote their campaign throughout campus. The students will work together to devise strategies for social media campaigns as well as events and community engagement.
As part of a national campaign among college students, the ABQ Fellows will receive extensive training at Hillel’s Engagement Institute. The participants will also further their leadership skills by serving on the Hillel leadership Board and attending training sessions as well as student leadership meetings.
For more information about UW Hillel, visit www.uwhillel.org.
Madeline Miller, class of 2012, is a development intern at Hillel Foundation University of Wisconsin.
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