Overview

The Dartmouth EPICS program seeks to establish mutually-beneficial partnerships between community agencies and Dartmouth students. Multi-term teams of upper-level students will partner with agencies to work on significant projects that require computer science and software engineering skills.

Dartmouth EPICS program is following the model established at Purdue University (EPICS web site), which has fielded many successful projects over the past decade. Each EPICS project is a partnership between an agency and a team of students. A common theme is the need for custom software, and the potential for such software to significantly help the agency in its mission.

A project is simultaneously an educational enterprise and an effort to produce an effective product. As such, the students and the organization engage each other throughout the process. Key aspects of a project include the following:

• Analysis and design: determine the agency's needs and possible approaches to addressing them.
• Implementation and integration: roll out software in stages, using feedback from the agency to guide subsequent stages.
• Continuity: carry information across terms in order to maintain, support, and expand the software.

Partnerships

• Beginning Fall 2005: Montshire Museum
• Beginning Winter 2006: Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity
• Beginning Spring 2006: Norris Cotton Cancer Center
• Beginning Spring 2006: David's House
• Beginning Fall 2006: High Horses
• Beginning Winter 2007: Good Neighbor Health Clinic
• Beginning Winter 2008: Upper Valley Humane Society
• Beginning Winter 2008: Upper Valley Trails Alliance
• Beginning Spring 2008: Upper Valley Business Education Partnership

We are always interested in learning about potential projects. Please contact Chris Bailey-Kellogg if you are interested or have any questions.