about
Fall 2015-16
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12:30 - 1:20 pm.
Learn web technologies by working on real world projects focused on creating positive social impact. The class will cover basic topics related to web development and provide resources for more advanced learning. Students will work on small teams to implement high-impact projects for partner organizations. The aim of this class is to to empower students to leverage technology for social good by inspiring action, facilitating collaboration, and forging pathways toward change.
Recommended prerequisite
CS106B. Students are expected to have prior programming experience but web application experience (eg, CS142) is not mandatory. The class is open to students of all years. No prior web experience is required.
Expectations
Work on real world projects in teams. Since this a 2 unit class with 3 hours of class time per week, homework will be roughly 3 hours a week, comprised of individual learning, work, and team meetings.
Enrollment Requirements
Students are required to submit an application (online here ) and attend the first class. Applications are due September 14th 11:59 PM.
syllabus
Welcome to CS 90SI! For the first 3 weeks, we will cover basic web development technologies including HTML,CSS and JavaScript. For the next 7 weeks, you will work on a real world high impact project with our amazing project partners. (Check them out here). Keep a tab on the latest class updates on our blog page here.
Week 1
Monday – September 21st
On the first day of the class, we go through class logistics, some fun stuff and learn HTML and CSS.
Readings:
- To Hell With Good Intentions - In 1968, Monsignor Ivan Illich addressed a group of American students headed abroad for philanthropic projects. He told them to stay home. This article might be a little offensive to some students but we want you to think about what you want to get from the class and how do you want to direct your hard work.
- Can Technology End Poverty? - "Technology—no matter how well designed—is only a magnifier of human intent and capacity. It is not a substitute." Kentaro Toyama talks about his experiences working in India and lessons he learnt.
- Terms We Wouldn't Use - A collection of terms we will not use in the class. We plan to keep on updating this list
- The Daily Show - Spot the Africa - Between rampant racial inequality and Ebola outbreaks, South African comedian Trevor Noah talks about how we steorotype Africa.
Wednesday – September 23rd
Speaker Session 1 : Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen
The queen of philanthropy is coming to CS 90SI.
Laura is the Founder and President of the Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen Foundation (LAAF.org), a private operating foundation with a mission to inspire, educate and empower people to give in a way that matters more. Operating as a philanthropic innovation lab, LAAF uses technology innovations to globally scale philanthropy education–creating and disseminating resources that advance the field of philanthropy.
Laura has taught Stanford Graduate School of Business’ first course on Strategic Philanthropy since 2000 and teaches Stanford University’s courses on philanthropy and social innovation, design thinking applied to philanthropy, collaborative grantmaking as well as technology’s disruption of social change. She is also the Founder and Board Chairman of Stanford PACS (Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society), a global research center committed to exploring ideas to create social change.
Her New York Times bestselling book, Giving 2.0: Transform Your Giving and Our World (Wiley/Jossey-Bass, 2011), empowers individuals of all backgrounds, ages and passions to make their giving matter more.
Please note that the entry to this talk will be restricted to 90SI students only. You can read her crazily impressive bio here.
Readings:
- Disruption For Good : Rapid advances in technology are changing philanthropy in fundamental ways—making it potentially more rational, effective, collaborative, transparent, and democratic.
Friday – September 25th
Technical Day
On the third day of class, We will cover JavaScript and answer questions on HTML and CSS.
Class Slides Assignment 1
Assignment 1 Out
- Assignment 1 is due Monday October 5 before 12:30 PM
Week 2
Monday – September 28th
We continue learning more about JavaScript.
Wednesday – September 30th
Speaker Session 2 : Jane Coyne
Jane Coyne recently returned to San Francisco after 9 years working with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/Doctors without Borders.
In 2003, she chose to leave the corporate world. She has since worked in Uganda, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Sudan. In July 2009, she was appointed as Program Manager for MSF France and has managed operations in South Sudan, Sudan, Central African Republic, Kenya, and Georgia.
She worked for 15 years in a variety of analytical and project management positions for both small and large manufacturing companies (HP, Nike, Dell, etc) with an emphasis on supply-chain optimization.
Today, She sits on the board of directors of Doctors Without Borders. We are super excited to have her come and share her inspiring life story with us.
Friday – October 2nd
Project Pitch Day
All the project partners pitch their projects to the class. At the end of the class, Students will submit their project choices. We will have 5 projects. Each team will have a maximum of 4 people.
Week 3
Monday – October 5th
Learn about backend technologies and git.
Due Before Class:
- Assignment 1 - Due Before 12:30 PM Monday October 5th. Assignment 2 will be released on the same day and will test your JavaScript skills.
Wednesday – October 7th
Speaker Session 3 : Andrew Janssen, Internet.org
Andrew Janssen is a software engineer in internet.org, Facebook’s non-profit organization which works to connect the two-thirds of the world that doesn’t have Internet access. Andrew earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2005, but has been freelancing since high school. His varied career experience includes: computer graphics for Electronic Arts, educational software for the US Army, mentoring Ruby on Rails students, launching a Bitcoin marketplace, and building video delivery software for Disney Interactive. Today he works to bring free Internet services to people around the world.
Friday – October 9th
The First Meeting with Project Partners
Team meeting with your partner organization. By the end of Week 3, Everyone has a project to work on.
Starting Week 4, Every Monday will be a Presentation Day where you will present your work in the class. Every Wednesday, We will have in class office hours. Every Friday, You will meet your project partners in class to discuss your projects.
Week 4
Monday – October 12th
Palantir + CS 90SI - In the first of two talks, We will have engineers from Palantir's world famous Philanthropy Engineering Team come and talk about how to get started on our social good projects.
Wednesday – October 14th
Office Hours + Work On Your Project
Office Hours. Come with questions and work on your project in class.
Milestone 1 - Due Before Class
- Instead of grading the final projects, We will grade your weekly progress. This is to make sure that the project solutions are well-thought and you gain from the experience of working with your partners. Milestones will be decided by your project partners and will account for 42% of your entire class grade.
Due Before Class:
- Assignment 2 - Your second assignment will test your newly aquired JS skills. Due Before 12:30 PM Wednesday October 14
Friday – October 16th
Meeting with Project Partners
Team meeting with your partner organization.
Week 5
Monday – October 19th
Palantir + CS 90SI - Jason Payne, one of the industry's leading minds on using CS for social good and head of Philanthropy Engineering Team at Palantir will come to class to talk about the relevance of technology in the race to change the world.
Wednesday – October 21st
Office Hours + Work On Your Project
Office Hours. Come with questions and work on your project in class.
Milestone 2 - Due Before Class
Friday – October 23rd
Meeting with Project Partners
Team meeting with your partner organization.
Week 6
Monday – October 26th
Present your current progress and work on your project in class.
Wednesday – October 28th
Office Hours + Work On Your Project
Office Hours. Come with questions and work on your project in class.
Milestone 3 - Due Before Class
Friday – October 30th
Meeting with Project Partners
Team meeting with your partner organization.
Week 7
Monday – November 2nd
Present your current progress and work on your project in class.
Wednesday – November 4th
Office Hours + Work On Your Project
Office Hours. Come with questions and work on the final implementation in class.
Milestone 4 - Due Before Class
Friday – November 6th
Meeting with Project Partners
Team meeting with your partner organization.
Week 8
Monday – November 9th
Present your current progress and work on the final implementation in class.
Wednesday – November 11th
Office Hours + Work On Your Project
Office Hours. Come with questions and work on the final implementation in class.
Milestone 5 - Due Before Class
Friday – November 13th
Meeting with Project Partners
Team meeting with your partner organization.
Week 9
Monday – November 16th
Present your current progress and work on the final implementation in class.
Wednesday – November 18th
Office Hours + Work On Your Presentation
Office Hours. Come with questions and work on the final presentation in class.
Milestone 6 - Due Before Class
Friday – November 20th
Last Meeting with Project Partners
The Final Team meeting with your partner organization.
Week 11
Monday – November 30th
Finish all the last minute work and practice your presentations.
Wednesday – December 2nd & Friday – December 4th
Final Presentation
The moment you have been waiting for is now here. Bring in your friends and family to the class and present your final project.
Final Course Reflection - Due 6th December 11:59 PM
Students are expected to submit a short 200-300 word reflection on the class in the form of a blog answering the following questions:
1. How does the knowledge gained over the quarter meet the learning objectives for the class?
2. How will your experience help you realize your goals for contributing to social good?
3. How do you think web technologies can contribute to social good?
4. What is the value to partners in collaborating with Stanford on this type of course?
projects
Each of the projects in this list has been carefully chosen by our team. We will keep on updating this list as we add more projects. Our project partners
are super excited to be working with you and helping you solve big problems that matter.
Project Oppia
Oppia started as a 20% project by some Google engineers. People learn better when they participate actively in the learning process (e.g. by doing things and getting feedback) than by passive exposure to videos and text. Oppia makes it easy for anyone to create interactive online activities simulating one-on-one tutoring conversations.
Government of Delhi
Welcome to Delhi, the center of the world’s largest democracy, and home to 20 million people. The Government of Delhi and the ruling political party, Aam Aadmi Party have graciously allowed us to create the next generation of tools to ensure political accountability in the country. You will work with the government and your work will directly impact millions of people.
SIRUM
Medication is the most cost effective way to treat most illnesses. Not taking prescription medicines costs our health system over $100 billion dollars and results in 125,000 deaths each year. At the same time, $5 billion of unopened, unexpired medication goes to waste each year. SIRUM makes it easy to donate unused medicine because we know that saving medicine means saving lives.
LaborVoices
LaborVoices is a social enterprise startup that is building a Glassdoor for workers in developing countries to rate their safety and working conditions anonymously using their basic mobile phones.
Government of Delhi
Mystery, magic, marvel. Modern Delhi is a beautiful tapestry of medieval fortifications, Mughal mausoleums, dusty bazaars, colonial-era town planning, and mega malls. More importantly, Tourism is an important industry for millions of Delhi citizens who rely on it for their daily income. The Government of Delhi has allowed us to create the next generation of tools to promote the tourism sector in Delhi and empower the millions of livelihoods it nourishes.
contact
Reach Us
Learn more about CS+Social Good at our website here . Have any questions about the class? Reach out to us at cs4good@cs.stanford.edu