Creativity for Good

This month, University Advancement did a story about Daryl Choa (20) as a recipient of the Creative Good Fund, the scholarship created for ETC students who are looking to gain experience with real-world non-profit projects while making a positive impact on the world around us. Below are excerpts from the story by Sarah Burke

Supporters create opportunities for students to put their artistic and technical skills to work for community organizations

By Sarah Burke

Since 2013, the Creative Good Fund has created meaningful hands-on learning experiences for graduate students in Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center.

Thanks to generous support from the CMU community, 10 students — and counting — have had the chance to use their skills to have a positive impact on nonprofit organizations.

The Creative Good Fund provides each ETC student with a stipend to cover living expenses, removing financial barriers to professional development opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.

We recently caught up with Daryl Choa, who earned her master’s degree in entertainment technology in 2020, to learn about her 2019 experience at Two Bit Circus Foundation in California.

In addition to advancing the foundation’s educational mission, Daryl developed valuable skills and prepared for her career. Today, she works as a producer at PBS NOVA Labs.

What were your main projects at Two Bit Circus Foundation?

My role was to reimagine old-school carnival games with new technology to engage students in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) learning. Over the course of the summer, I developed a proposal for a carnival-themed energy exhibit at the Kern County Museum, built games with alternative controllers and helped to fabricate a 3D print pen “escape room” experience. This meant that no two days were ever the same at 2BCF! Some days I would be teaching myself to code in Unity, other days I could be laser-cutting prototypes, trying to get a 3D printer to work or volunteering at our summer camp.

To read more of the story, see CMU’s Engage website.

To Donate to Carnegie Mellon University, designated to the Creative Good Fund, see CMU’s Giving Website.

To learn more about the Creative Good Fund, see the Creative Good Fund pages.

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