Trinity Hall’s annual HUMM institute workshop showcased creativity and leadership skills as 30 sophomore students gathered on campus to participate in a hands-on design challenge. The April 5 event provided students with the opportunity to craft innovative, transportable literacy solutions aimed at promoting accessibility to books for children across Monmouth County.
Led by junior ambassadors Maeve Shanley, Olivia Lauto, Elizabeth Romer and Arielle Nimoh, the workshop served as a pivotal onboarding event for Trinity Hall’s new sophomore HUMM ambassadors. The juniors provided guidance and leadership throughout the day, focusing on accessibility in literacy, and encouraging the sophomores to take risks and innovate.
“We wanted younger people to feel empowered about their design thinking skills,” said junior Nimoh. “We also wanted to create an environment where girls could experiment and take risks while feeling comfortable. We emphasized to the girls that engineering can be fun while also being a valuable learning experience.”
Teams of sophomores worked together to conceptualize and prototype mobile units aimed at expanding access to books and literacy materials to serve the broader community. Junior leader Lauto shared, “We provided the sophomores with the constraints of their challenge and supplied them with a template slideshow to pitch their ideas to junior judges. After listening to their amazing presentations, we voted on the winning prototype!”
“Every group was so well-organized and came up with amazing ideas for traveling bookshelves with all different aspects to them,” said junior leader Romer. “From coloring books to impeccable organization, each group added their own special flair to their ideas. These sophomores truly are amazing!”
Lilly McCann, a member of Trinity Hall’s first graduating class, returned to campus as a guest speaker for the event. Her discussion with current students served as a highlight of the day. McCann shared how her Trinity Hall education fostered her entrepreneurial spirit and inspired her leadership journey through her experience as a wedding planner. She emphasized the importance of believing in oneself, urging students to nurture their self-confidence in order to meet their goals.
Reflecting on the day’s success, teacher co-leader Erin Straine remarked, “As always, Mrs. Lambou and I are extremely proud of the impact these students are making to change the world through an entrepreneurial spirit and design acumen.”
Trinity Hall’s HUMM institute workshop proved once again to be an inspiring and impactful event for students and the community. Throughout the next two years, the sophomore cohort will see their project through to completion, building the winning design of mobile literacy units and implementing them around Monmouth County.