Each year, the parents and families of Georgia Tech students contribute philanthropic support that is used to enhance the lives of students on campus. This assistance covers a wide range of activities from providing basic necessities like food and housing, supporting individual students professional and educational growth, and allowing student organizations to better enrich the campus and community as a whole. As a result of these philanthropic efforts the Parent’s Fund helped students who had nowhere else to turn. In the 2017-2018 academic year, the Parent’s Fund was able to sponsor over 70 different events hosted by the some of the many student organizations here on campus. These events are listed below for you to review. We at the Parent Fund hope your student was able to or will be able to participate in some of these events and thank you all for your support.
September 2017
HoliFest
Holifest is one of the largest Indian cultural events in the Southeast. Reaching an audience of over 1,200, the festival features dancing, food, singing, and other performances. It expands the reach for the Georgia Tech India Club and gets them involved in the local community while exposing students to the rich traditions the community has to offer.
Night Market
Night markets around the world are stunning displays of life, color, and energy that feature street food, art, music, and carnival games. The Georgia Tech International Ambassadors is hosting a Night Market to celebrate culture from around the world. There will be vendors selling products for charity, performers, as well as food and drink from all over the world.
Innovative Art and Technology Program
This program, premiering this Fall, will feature ten Georgia Tech students as a pilot program to combine the arts with technology. Serving as the pilot for an Innovative Arts and Technology program that will offer an interdisciplinary degree that allows students to create innovations in art forms.
SGA Week
SGA week provides Georgia Tech students an opportunity to meet their SGA representatives and learn about everything the SGA has to offer. Each day of the week centers around different events like guest speaker panels, trivia, giveaways, and more. The week concludes with a town hall meeting featuring the Dean of Students and President of the University.
FreshGA Fall Retreat
FreShGA is an organization that operates with the intent to develop leaders with integrity, work ethic, and confidence. The organization does this by showing first-year members how they become leaders on Georgia Tech’s campus, particularly within the purview of SGA. The FreShGA retreat, held at the Rock Eagle 4-H center in Eatonon, GA, is crucial in creating and promoting the initial bonds made between the first-year members and FreShGA advisors so that they can prepare for the leadership roles they will be filling.
Georgia Tech Integrity Series
The Georgia Tech Honor Advisory Council, collaborating with the Office of Student Integrity, is working to create a proactive environment around student integrity. This includes hosting workshops, guest speakers, and educational experiences that will help students navigate the difficult ethical decisions that they will face both in school and beyond. Their goal is to not only decrease the number of academic integrity violations, but to also to provide one more way for Georgia Tech students to be excellent global citizens as they move out into the world.
October 2017
Alternative Service Breaks
Alternative Service Breaks create group oriented immersive service trips for students to attend during Institute breaks. Each Alternative Service Break trip provides meaningful service to a community and engages participants in the mission of Georgia Tech, "Progress and Service". This semester students will work with Habitat for Humanity, the National Park Service, and hurricane relief groups.
Art Matters
The Art Matters program is a series of workshops that will range from art technology to music production. These workshops have never been offered before on the campus of Georgia Tech and will be open to all students who express an interest.
Tour of Asia
The Asian American Student Association is partnering with more than fifteen student organizations on campus to host a "Tour of Asia". Each group will prepare food and activities for attendees to experience the many different traditions of Asia and collect sta mps in their “passports” to earn prizes.
Eagles @ Georgia Tech
Eagles @ Georgia Tech is an organization that works to network Eagle Scouts with local Cub Scout groups in conjunction with the Atlanta Area Council and the Boy Scouts of America. They will help to deploy camps and host service opportunities throughout the semester and have a positive impact on the local community.
Disco Bowling Night
Many students are not aware of some of the entertainment opportunities available to them on campus. One of the easiest for them to access is the Tech Rec Center in the Student Center. The Georgia Tech Bowling Club is hosting a free disco bowling night to raise awareness and help recruit members. The goal will be demonstrate the great opportunities available to students on campus while contributing to the overall engagement of Georgia Tech students.
OUT Week
For the past five years, the OUT Week reception has been a crucial community building event for LGBTQIA students, employees, and allies. The year, for the first time, the LGBTQIA Center will be partnering with the African American Student Union and will feature a panel that brings together community leaders and educators with extensive histories in civil rights activism. Together they will discuss racial justice and LGBTQIA liberation in the Southeast.
Step Show
The National Pan-Hellenic Council’s Georgia Tech Homecoming Step Show will feature performances from 9 NPHC organizations, five fraternities and four sororities. The participating fraternities and sororities will give a unique 10-minute stepping/acting performance, each with its own creative theme. Such themes in the past have included The Matrix, a zombie apocalypse, Star Wars, and the NBA Finals. It attracts students, faculty, alumni, friends, and other persons affiliated with NPHC organizations and promotes interaction and intermingling among the campus community as a whole.
Magic Show
In an effort to provide students with quality entertainment here on Campus, the Student Center Programs Council is hosting a magic show. By hosting the event on campus, the SCPC will be able to keep the cost low for students and make it accessible to any student who is interested.
TEAM Buzz Community Service Day
Established in 1997, TEAM Buzz Community Service Day is an event at Georgia Tech that annually brings over 1,500 students, faculty, staff, and alumni together. Participants engage in numerous service projects throughout the Atlanta area in partnership with over fifty local nonprofit agencies and organizations. Volunteers also attend a kickoff rally and a concluding celebration in order to both applaud the year round efforts of volunteers in our community, as well as to learn more about volunteering opportunities on campus and in the Atlanta area.
TEDx at Georgia Tech
TEDx at Georgia Tech is an independently organized TEDx event held on campus. It is run entirely by student volunteers with the goal of showcasing ideas from the community that can inspire change at Georgia Tech and beyond. They will host speakers and panels that will discuss topics like alternative energy, public radio, refugee aid, pollination and bee populations, and the entrepreneurial lifestyle.
Moon Festival
Hosted by the Vietnamese Student Association, the Moon Festival is a celebration of Southeast Asian culture. It will feature food, games, dance performances, fashion shows, a traditional lion dance. It is free for students and is the primary cultural showcase for the Southeast Asian Student Association.
Homecoming Carnival
As a part of the Homecoming festivities, the Student Center Programs Council will be hosting a carnival during the week leading up to the game. The goal of the carnival is to engage Georgia Tech students from every corner of campus as they come together to express school spirit. It will be free to all students and have food, games, rides, and music.
November 2017
Go Baby Go
Go Baby Go works with parents, clinicians, students and community members from around the world to help modify toy ride-on cars for kids with disabilities. Using do-it-yourself style design and pediatric innovation, these cars empower children who have trouble moving on their own to be a part of the action at home, in school, and on the playground.
Designing with Real Engineers and Mentors
Designing with Real Engineers and Mentors (DREAM) is a group of outreach mentors dedicated to promoting STEM opportunities for high school students from area schools. The DREAM organization will provide students with guidance on designing innovative solutions to solve a problem. The semester long competitions will test student built prototypes and will be organized and facilitated by the Georgia Tech students who are a part of the DREAM organization.
Inclusive Music Program
The very first commissioned work by the Georgia Tech Concert Band will be premiered on November 19, 2017. The program will highlight the contribution women have made in contemporary orchestral music by featuring their work. The first show of the series is Lightweg, a piece composed by Jennifer Jolley. Lightweg is a wind ensemble piece that will be presented to the audience accompanied by the artwork that inspired it.
GT Night at the Aquarium
Each year the Student Center Program Council partners with the Georgia Aquarium to provide Georgia Tech students with an evening of fun at learning. They are shuttled to the aquarium after it has closed to the public and given the opportunity to go behind the scenes for the exhibits. The SCPC also provides entertainment and other activities to make the event a one of a kind night each year.
December 2017
The Final Stand
The Final Stand is a hosted by the Freshman Student Government Association at the Campus Recreation Center the Friday night before finals week. It features competitive sports tournaments, food, and prizes. This will be the event's eighteenth year and each year has been bigger than the last with more than 2000 students expected to attend at the end of the Fall Semester.
The Midnight Breakfast
The long-running Student Center Programs Council Midnight Breakfast features pancakes, grits, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, coffee, orange juice, and more! Each year the Parents Fund is proud to sponsor this event that will reach more than 10,000 students in both the Fall and Spring semesters. It takes place on the Tuesday night of finals week 10pm - midnight during the fall and spring semesters and features faculty and staff serving breakfast to students to give them a break from studying as they prepare for exams.
January 2018
MLK Celebration
Each year, Georgia Tech hosts events centered around the celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These events serve foster student engagement while educating, celebrating, and inspiring students to follow MLK's legacy both in and out of the Georgia Tech community.
MLK Day of Service
Hosted by Student Engagement, the 8th annual MLK Day of Service is a day of service that fosters the national holiday’s spirit of “A Day On, Not a Day Off.” In honor of Dr. King, students, staff, and faculty contribute their time and talents to make a difference in the Atlanta community by serving with local community partners. The event aligns with GT’s motto: “Progress & Service” and the Strategic Plan: “To improve the human condition” while also reminding participants of Dr. King’s belief in the creation of a Beloved Community.
MLK Sunday Supper
The 2018 MLK Sunday Supper will be the 5th year that this program is incorporated into the Institute’s MLK Celebration. The purpose is to provide an opportunity for our community to come together over a good meal and to engage in meaningful conversation – in the same way that a family might have come together over a Sunday supper meal. Additionally, the MLK Sunday Supper provides intentional space for faculty, staff, students, and community members to share highlights from their experiences at our Institute’s MLK Celebration events, including the Student Celebration, the MLK Keynote Lecture, the MLK Day of Service, and the Civil Rights Bus Tour.
February 2018
Islamic Awareness Month
Islamic Awareness Month aims to educate students, faculty and staff about the culture and religion of Islam in order to promote diversity, build understanding, and trump misconceptions. It will primarily focus on building bridges within the Georgia Tech community regardless of religious affiliation, race, or ethnicity. It of multiple events on campus which will display different facets of the faith, and appeal to a diverse audience like the Unveiling the Veil, Fast-A-Thon, speakers, and an Islamic Trivia Table.
Women’s Leadership Conference
The Women's Leadership Conference is a means to celebrate, recognize, and learn more about the strong leadership exhibited by women of the Georgia Tech community. The one-day conference offers workshops, speakers and discussions aimed at training female leaders on area campuses and in the Atlanta community. The new group of Georgia Tech students making up this year’s planning committee is eager to organize a successful and impactful conference again this year.
Café Momus
Aiming to present a unique concert experience that connects the audience to the contemporary music, the Georgia Tech Symphony Orchestra presents the Cafe Momus concert series. Set in an intimate performance space, Cafe Momus will feature "Façade - An Entertainment" by poet Edith Sitwell with accompanying music by composer William Walton during their concert this Spring.
Sting Hunger Now
This event brings together student volunteers to prepare and package over 300,000 individual meals to be shipped internationally to combat hunger all over the world. It brings together roughly 1500 students from organizations all over campus, including the SGA, Greek Life, athletic teams religious organizations, and many other student activity groups as well as members of the neighboring Atlanta community. This will increase the awareness of issues outside of Georgia Tech for all the people involved and help develop the leaders of tomorrow to solve these complex issues.
Lantern Festival 2018
The Chinese Student Organization hosts a free event featuring food, performances, games, and prizes open to all students and faculty. Funding provided would support the purchase of supplies and marketing materials.
African American Student Union Keynote Speaker
Funding is being requested to support the AASU as they host a guest speaker, Angela Rye, on campus during Black History Month.
Georgia Tech Its Friday (GTIF)
Each Friday the Ramblin’ Wreck Club would like to make the Wreck available for students to see and take pictures with in different locations across campus. Funding would print stickers and provide snacks as giveaways for participants.
Tri-Beta Faculty Dinner
This dinner, hosted by the Tri Beta Biological Honor Society, would provide students access to biology professors and researchers in an intimate setting, promoting conversation and networking between students and experts in the field.
Georgia Tech Best Buddies
Funding is being provided so student volunteers can bring their “Buddies” (people with disabilities) to Georgia Tech events like the GT night at the Aquarium, baseball games, and art presentations.
Augmented Reality Program
Partnering with a Georgia Tech professor from the Center for Relative Astrophysics and the LIGO Scientific Collaboration (winner of a 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics), the goal is to make cutting edge research into gravitational waves, black holes, and other spacial anomalies available to students in an innovative way.
Student Leader Retreat
This retreat, hosted by the Office of Student Engagement will allow the leaders of student organizations to learn more about their own leadership styles and how to improve themselves. Funding would help to subsidize the lodging and meals for the students and advisors.
March 2018
IsrealFest
Each spring, Hillel at Georgia Tech hosts its annual IsraelFest to celebrate all aspects of Israeli heritage and culture. Hillel’s mission is to enrich the lives of the nearly 600 Jewish students on Georgia Tech’s campus so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world. Each year roughly 1000 students attend the event that includes kosher food trucks, live camels, a Western Wall replica, and a true Bedouin tent experience
Short Film Production
Filmmakers @ GT would like to help fund the production of short films by members of their organization and host a screening of the films at the end of the semester.
Interactive Opera
The School of Music is partnering with the School of Design to present Mozart’s Don Giovanni opera and is requesting support for the purchase of materials such as sheet music and set pieces.
Clough Art Crawl
The Office of the Arts hosts an annual “Art Crawl” that displays student art of various mediums throughout the Clough Undergraduate Learning Center. Support would help purchase supplies, market the event, and host an awards ceremony.
Culture Fest
A week-long event that highlights the cultural diversity on campus. Funding is supporting the purchase of food, space rentals, and advertising to help the International Ambassadors at Georgia Tech host a cross cultural event open to all students on campus.
Holi Show
Celebrating Holi, the Festival of Colors, the GT India Club is hosting a night of traditional dance and musical performances. Funding supports the purchase of food, marketing materials, and space rental for their event.
Project Africa
The African Student Association host an annual conference that uses science, technology, and entrepreneurship and innovation to promote African development, Project Africa.
Dance-a-Thon
This is a national program that supports the Children’s Miracle Network by hosting dance marathons on college campuses. Hosted by the Georgia Tech chapter of For the Kids, last year this event raised over $200,000 to support the Children’s Miracle Network.
Rambling Tennis
Open to students, faculty, and staff, regardless of skill, Ramblin’ Tennis is a recreational tennis club that is using tennis to promote wellness and an open environment.
Sting Break
Each year, the Student Center Programs Council hosts a carnival on the Fifth Street Bridge shortly after Spring Break to welcome students back and help them prepare for the rest of the semester.
CS+Social Good at Tech Workshops
Funding is allowing the Georgia Tech CS+Social Good organization to provide laptops to host coding workshops and listen to speakers as they present throughout the Atlanta area. They are hoping to use coding education to address social issues that are relevant to students and will be open to attendees from every major university in Georgia.
AMSA PreHealth Conference
The Georgia Tech American Medical Student Association is using funding to purchase parking, meals, and attendee gifts as they host their PreHealth Conference to prepare students from all over Georgia as they apply for medical school. They will host speakers, discussions, town halls for students about to begin medical school.
April 2018
Coffee+Art
Art Matters would like to further enhance their programming and increase attendance at Coffee+Art events throughout the semester. Through these events they hope to enrich the art experiences at Tech, provide a voice for the student artist community, and enhance the campus perception and value of art as a whole.
Mechanical Engineering Capstone Project
The Parents Fund is helping with Mechanical Engineering students that are being used in the production of the interactive opera, Don Giovanni. They will fabricate costumes that will display lights and other mechanisms while interacting with the performers.
China Care Annual Carnival and Dinner
The GT China Care organization hosts an annual carnival designed to promote Chinese culture among GT students and an awards dinner that raises money in support of their charitable work overseas.
Tech Beautification Day
Every spring members of the Tech community come together to and participate in projects like planting grass, spreading pine straw, and painting murals as they work to beautify the campus.
Natural Herbicides Team
In an effort to curb the use of potentially toxic weed killers, The Engineers for a Sustainable World is creating 9 gallons of natural herbicide to be used during Tech Beautification Day and potentially beyond.
STEM Field Day
Partnering with schools throughout metro Atlanta, Kids @ Kollege hosts an annual field day that promotes the value of higher education, particularly in the STEM fields, to young students in the Atlanta community.
Up With the White and Gold
Hosted by the Presidents Council Governing Board, this annual awards ceremony grants over 70 awards to members of the Georgia Tech community that exhibit leadership, service, and pride in the institute.
Spring Retreat
Current and new members of the Ramblin’ Wreck Club participate in a retreat that will help them prepare for their other responsibilities throughout the year.
Get Animated
In an effort to expand their programming, the Student Center Programs Council is hosting a series of events to showcase student storytelling through alternative methods like puppet shows and animated films.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronomics Student Trips
The Georgia Tech chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is sending student so receive tours of the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral and the Gulfstream airplane factory outside of Savannah.
Honor Week
The Honor Advisory Council is hosting their annual Honor Week featuring activities to make students more aware of the honor code as they prepare for finals.
Space Day
Funding would provide a scale model of the solar system as well as marketing materials and prizes to be used on “Space Day”. This event will bring together student organizations from all over campus that have an interest in space like the Astronomy Club and Space Systems Design Lab.
Round One
Hosted by the Alpha Kappa Psi and Startup Exchange, this competition provides student founded startups with the ability to connect with mentors, angel investors, and venture capitalists as they try to launch a company.
May 2018
Acoustics Seminars
The Georgia Tech chapter of the Acoustical Society of America is hosting seminars so that professors can present their research around the use of acoustics, specifically music and sound, to interested students.
Night of Diversity
Delta Phi Lambda sorority hosts an event that brings together cultural organizations from all over campus. The goal is to inspire conversations between groups and create an open dialog among students of different backgrounds.
Welcome Materials
The Transfer Student Association is expanding their efforts to help students as they begin their education at Georgia Tech. This includes mentorships and written materials to help as they transition into Georgia Tech.
Materials Research Society Trivia Night
To celebrate the end of the semester, the Materials Research Society is hosting a trivia event. Students will compete for prizes and converse with professors while the Materials Research Society hosts trivia.
Ride Out in Style
Graduating seniors are provided with a unique chance to ride in the Wreck one last time. The Ramblin’ Wreck club is hosting a reception while students wait for their chance to ride.
Rocket Build
The Parents Fund is happy to sponsor the Yellow Jacket Space Program and help them reach their goal of making Georgia Tech the first university to send a student built rocket into space.
Summer 2018 and Beyond
LGBTQIA Welcome Reception
At the start of each year, the LGBTQIA Resource Center hosts a Welcome Reception to help new students feel comfortable and build a community while learning about campus resources available to them.
FirstGen Mentorship Program
The FirstGen Welcome Series supports first generation college students by providing mentorships on financial literacy, academic support, research opportunities, and extracurricular involvement.
ISPE Social
The International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers is hosting their annual social to bring students from different fields like Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering.
Engineers Without Borders Nicaragua Project
Georgia Tech students, as members of the Engineers Without Borders, are working to improve the quality of life for a community on the outskirts of Matagalpa, Nicaragua. The program is working to improve the public and environmental health issues within the community through the development of new cookstoves. These stoves will require less fuel, be easier to use, and will generate less environmental impact as they improve the overall quality of life for the residents of Nuevo Amanecer.