Service Project Examples
Liberare
This girl created a bra for her mother with arthritis, and has since created a brand around accessible bras and underwear. Here’s one video of hers. And another. And she has a whole channel. What I really want you to see here is how much testing she did, how many things she tried. She made those ridiculous gloves to simulate what some people really experience. That could really come alive in an essay. Whatever you do, you need to take it that far.
Super cool idea. You could pursue this if you were going more mental health / medical with your major, or more tech, or psychology / sociology. Lots of things this could relate to.
Let’s say you’ve just read Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green, and you want to do something about Tuberculosis. This is a great Service Project. I’ll break down things you could do based on your intended major:
Medicine: More obvious connection, but let’s dig deeper. You could go into pharmaceuticals, talking about how you want to create the next new TB drug (there hasn’t been a new one in decades). Or, you could talk about wanting to do Doctors without Borders or any service program in the country that would serve groups most affected by TB. You could also go more medical + engineering and work on better portable tests and scans for TB. Tons of options.
Finance: You could talk about wanting to use finance to fund your work with TB, being the financial middleman or middlewoman for these programs.
Engineering: You could talk about wanting to build better tests and scans, alongside some doctors in the field!
Politics: You could talk about wanting to lobby congress for more international TB support and maybe support for other diseases as well.
History: You could talk about how studying TB will help you inform people of the crazy world of disease history. That’s not an official branch of history, yet. So, that’s pretty cool.
My point here is, you can do so many things with just one issue. And, very critically, the initial issue doesn’t have to feel like it obviously comes from your intended major. TB isn’t obviously about engineering, but engineers are certainly involved in TB solutions.
From the Book How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
One person in this book is creating a map of Oakland, but it’s the Long Lost Oakland, the Oakland of yesteryear that tells stories of native tribes and forests and rivers that used to exist. Here’s what the book says about it:
And yet his dedication came from something more than despair: I have chosen to illustrate this map not as a horrific depiction of the catastrophes that define our common history, but as a reflection of the resilience and magic I see in the city around me. It is a reminder that no matter how bad things get, they are always changing. I want Long Lost Oakland to ground the viewer in the place where they stand and to spark the imagination of those who will struggle for a different kind of future.
Even when you’re working with something tragic, you can tell a story of hope.
Boulder artist creates nature-themed stickers to cover new National Park Pass design
This one is more political. If you want to go political, take your stance and stick to it! In 2018, after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Parkland) High School shooting, David Hogg took to social media advocating for stricter gun-control laws, and Kyle Kashuv argued for protected Second Amendment rights. Both students were accepted into Harvard. It turned out, later, that there were issues with other things Kyle had said, but the point is that both students got in even though they supported different positions. Have a strong belief. Stick to your metaphorical guns. Or avoid politics altogether (a perfectly acceptable option).
This woman is great. She’s made several other cool things. This one is a planter that only shines light on the plant if you’re NOT on your phone. The idea is to use the responsibility of caring for the plant to help get you to stop doom scrolling. This is a great idea that is very timely!
Jamaican Student Invented a Self-Disinfecting Door Handle for Hospitals
Living Cement Capable of Generating Energy
Cyborg Beetles Transforming Search & Rescue
You could build a tiny robot!
A 12-year-old with Several Inventions
Bras Designed for Women with Disabilities
Lots of experimentation here. This is what your projects should look like: something where the answer isn’t immediately super obvious. You need to test things that fail, and then test things that succeed!
Tilt Disability-Accessible Beauty Brand
Tilt Beauty makes beauty products. They were reviewed in the video above by a girl with a physical disability. When you start to think about all the things you can design for people who live life differently…you’ll come up with SO many service project ideas!
These sutures change color in the presence of bacterial growth, indicating that there may be an infection at the site of the injury.
A bowl made to be used by anyone who can only use one arm (due to injury, amputation, or even just holding a kid).
A pill bottle with intentional compartments that can help to avoid spilling pills on the floor if you have Parkinson’s (a disease that causes tremors).
This family created a pet door that allows their cat through, but not their dog. The dog has an RFID tag on its collar that closes the door when he walks near. Notice how messy this thing looks (clearly cardboard and tape, nothing fancy). Not everything you make has to be fancy. Basic and messy is fine, if it works!
This guy just donates his time and hard work. He goes around looking for lawns that are overgrown, and he cuts, hedges, digs, and otherwise cleans things up for free. Your Service Project really can just be doing things for people for free.
Solar Robots and Eco-Tinkering and Playing with the Sun
I’m putting these two in service because you could easily share it with kids near you or in underserved areas and turn it into a service project.
Flipping Thrifted Socks and Cables into Heels
Thrifting and flipping things in general can be a good Service or Passion Project.
Pneumatic Press Machine for Can Holders
This guy invented a new, sustainable and environmentally friendly holder for four-packs of cans (better than all the plastic versions that kill turtles). But, in order to make it work, he needed to make it more feasible to attach the holder to the cans. So, he created a custom pneumatic press machine.
This guy fills in big pavement holes with mosaic. This helps prevent tripping hazards and is really pretty too!
Engineers Create World's First Fully Artificial Heart
This is obviously amazing outright. I also love that the guy’s dad was a plumber. That unexpected kind of connection is really a thing colleges look for.
3D Printed Ultrasound for Blind Mothers
Just like it sounds, and a really touching thing. If you’re into 3D printing, there are SO many things you can 3D print that can serve so many different people.
This is a kid and his family. They grow Christmas trees, give you a tree, and then take it back after Christmas and replant it. That way, you could potentially rent the same tree next year! It also keeps the planet green.
Minecraft Library that Made Censored Journalism Accessible Around the World
Just like it sounds. You can make anything in Minecraft, so if that’s your big Passion, see if you can find a way to turn it into Service too!
Coffins Made From Mushrooms that Return You to the Earth
Knitting Sweaters for Penguins
This 9th grader won first place in the America’s Top Young Scientist competition by creating a way to help people test their produce for pesticide residues.
A Few Winning Ideas in Computer Science from UW
Spanish Artists Decorate Shopping District to Help Cool it Down
This is a relatively simple idea. You just have to get a bunch of crochet fans together. But, also really practical and helpful to a lot of people.
Human Alarm Helps Fight Procrastination
This guy made a job out of making sure people get their stuff done. You could too.
Kenyan Woman Turns Trash into Bricks
Renting Houses to Temporary Workers
You could work to improve the design or try to get these installed in your city/town if your town suffers from flooding.
This was a teenager who made a ton of money simply by helping people name their babies. Check out the particular circumstances in the link.
This is a bit more of an Interesting Find. But, you could easily take this idea and go start installing them in neighborhoods that are clearly missing gutters or have broken gutters. That would help out those people, and you don’t even have to invent anything!
Yep! Even something like Bored Panda can help you find a Service Project. Like the wheelchair accessible picnic tables found in the link above, or the simple paper bags promoting environmentalism, or the Tip N Tell for shipping. Some things here are more cute, like the frilled-neck lizard pencil sharpener which could be a good Passion Project. Anyways, search for inspiration anywhere! Even when you’re bored-browsing.
Underground Parking Accessibility
This is just a problem without a clear current solution, but you could be the one to solve it!
Several Ideas for Helping Amputees
Foot protection from sand and dirt. Making prosthetic parts pretty.