Student ProjectsTikkun Olam Makers 2025-2026
Project Manager
Jenna Amusin, Tikkun Olam Makers
Amount Requested
$5,000
Summary
Tikkun Olam Makers (TOM) is a student organization that develops assistive technology and products for people with disabilities, with a focus on children in rehabilitation schools and programs. Through TOM projects and events, Northwestern students engage in the design process and build their skills in prototyping and fabrication, while giving back to the community in a meaningful and fulfilling way.
TOM began its work in 2025 as a recognized McCormick student group. That year, we completed two project partnerships with the Park School, a rehabilitation school for children in Evanston. One of our project teams worked over five months to create a playspace where children in wheelchairs could engage with one another and play together. We also partnered with the school to host a build party, which brought together 36 students, including McCormick students and members of the broader Northwestern community. During the event, we switch adapted 30 toys for students at the school to use.
We plan to continue our partnership with the Park School during the 2025–2026 academic year and also expand our work to include other organizations, such as the Cove School and Keshet. With support from the Murphy Society Grant, we hope to grow these partnerships and provide more Northwestern students with opportunities to participate in this important and impactful work.
Planned Activities/Investments
We plan to launch three long-term project teams in the fall, each with four to seven students, and aim to complete the projects by the end of the academic year. In addition, we will host one build party each quarter. The specific events for fall, winter, and spring will be finalized in coordination with our project partners. We currently expect one build party to focus on toy switch adaptation and another on toddler mobility trainers (wheelchairs for young children). Each build party will involve 20 to 40 student participants.
Impact
Our projects have a direct impact on people with disabilities in the local community, such as students at Park School, participants in the Keshet program, and individuals from other partner organizations, by providing custom-designed assistive devices that support daily tasks and promote independence.
At the same time, Northwestern students gain hands-on experience in user-centered design. Through TOM’s committee structure, students from any major can build skills in areas like fabrication, prototyping, user research, project management, and outreach. Our build parties and other events are open to the broader campus, giving more students the chance to work on meaningful, impact-driven projects.
TOM also fosters collaboration and networking across campus and with over 70 chapters worldwide. We will track our impact by staying in close contact with community partners, gathering feedback from student participants, and measuring key outcomes, including the number of devices built, student engagement, and partnership growth.
Deliverables
Each long-term project (a total of three) will include: comprehensive documentation, 3-5 prototypes, and one final deliverable. Each build party (a total of three) will fabricate about 20-30 products.
Sustainability
Not applicable, we will have everything completed within the year.
Previous Project
Not applicable, we have not received Murphy Society funding in previous years.
Budget Overview
- Project Team #1: $1000
- Project Team #2: $1000
- Project Team #3: $1000
- Build Party #1: $665
- Build Party #2: $665
- Build Party #3: $665
Total Budget Amount: $5,000
Matching Funds
TOM applies to grants throughout the year, but we do not have any committed sources of funding for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Faculty Adviser/Department
Adam Goodman/McCormick School of Engineering Center for Leadership