Real Business

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 14:43:03 +0000

Real Business BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 11/20/2025 - 09:43

CUBEs initiative brings hands-on experience to over 1,500 students

November 20, 2025

Brian Benson, G’23

When Kara McManus, G’26, pursues a career as a government or nonprofit administrator, she will inevitably partner with various consultants. Thanks to an innovative ��Ƶ initiative, she’ll do so with lots of first-hand experience.

This semester, Kara and her classmates in a nonprofit administration course are helping SouthCoast Community Foundation build a database of nonprofits in the region.

“This was my first time working on a client-based project,” said Kara, who noted the broad scope was initially overwhelming. “This was the first experience I had trying to ask the right questions on how we can narrow this down but still provide a service that is going to be beneficial.”

Their project, which is part of ��Ƶ’s Collaborative University Business Experiences (CUBEs) program, will help the foundation assess the philanthropic needs in the region and better distribute funding.

Launched in 2020 by the Ricciardi College of Business, CUBEs pairs classes with organizations for semester-long projects. The initiative has expanded across the university, having now involved more than 1,500 students and more than 100 projects.

“We’ve seen growth in skills that help students in the job market, and they are more engaged in the classroom,” said Dr. Stephanie Jacobsen, an associate professor of marketing and a CUBEs coordinator. “They don’t just show up, watch a lecture and go home. They know they have a hands-on, real project.”

The program benefits both businesses and nonprofits who receive assistance with a project they may not be able to complete in-house.

“It definitely connects to Bridgewater’s commitment to the community as well as our commitment to our students,” said Dr. Seth Meyer, an associate professor of political science and a CUBEs coordinator. “It’s not a zero-sum game.

CUBEs projects provide a safe space where students can take risks and learn from mistakes, said Meyer, who teaches the nonprofit administration class.

Meyer’s students said this style of learning is emblematic of the public administration program, where professors challenge students to connect academic theories to practical applications.

“In every single course, you have to take the analytical and textbook material and go into your career and apply them in ways that are beneficial,” Kara said. “I think the MPA program in general does a really good job of that.”

Do you have a ��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

In every single course, you have to take the analytical and textbook material and go into your career and apply them in ways that are beneficial. I think the MPA program in general does a really good job of that.

Kara McManus, G’26

Granting Opportunities

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 21 May 2024 19:03:28 +0000

Granting Opportunities BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 05/21/2024 - 15:03

CUBEs program takes students into the working world

May 23, 2024

Brian Benson, G'23

Anna Dykhoff, ’26, enrolled in an English class on grant writing hoping to learn a new skill. By the end of the semester, she was able to add even more to her resume.

The class challenged students to work with A&A Metro Transportation to support its Bridgewater Cares on-demand public transit system for town residents and ��Ƶ students. And, thanks to connections she made, Anna is a summer intern for the organization.

“It blossomed from something I thought was just a class into a career opportunity,” she said.

That’s just one of the many benefits of ��Ƶ’s Collaborative University Business Experiences (CUBEs) program. In CUBEs classes such as this one taught by Dr. Lisa Litterio, students work with local organizations on semester-long projects that are embedded within the course.

Students visited A&A Metro’s offices and the Senior Center and met with users of the service. They established a TikTok account, produced Instagram posts and wrote a federal grant proposal for Bridgewater Cares, which is currently funded by the state, town of Bridgewater and ��Ƶ. They even received feedback on the proposal from Congressman Bill Keating’s staff.

“It’s mirroring what the workplace is about and what the world is about,” said Litterio, who hopes the course helps students expand their writing and career horizons. “It’s seeing the classroom as a place to do grant writing.”

Students embraced the opportunity and responsibility that comes with a project whose impact stretched far beyond the classroom.

“It’s very rewarding,” said Cam Rodericks, a marketing major who expects to finish his degree in the fall. “I’m learning something I can apply to real life.”

Dasia Peters, ’24, added: “I feel like I’m actually doing something that has a greater purpose. Just the thought of being able to actually get funding that can help the community is really motivating to me.”

Dasia, a communication studies major and member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, hopes to use her new skills to help her tribe apply for federal grants.

Anna, who focused in class on enhancing Bridgewater Cares’ social media accounts, looks forward to growing A&A Metro’s online presence during her internship.

“We’re being trusted as professionals,” Anna said of the course. “It’s not work just to get a grade.”

Do you have a ��Ƶ story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

It blossomed from something I thought was just a class into a career opportunity.

Anna Dykhoff, ’26