Create Your Own Project

ELN student.

Under the mentorship of a UB faculty member, students are invited to develop independent projects aligned with their specific academic and professional interests.

How it works

To do a Create Your Own Project and earn an ELN Digital Badge, each project must:

Have a UB Faculty Mentor

  • Students must find an appropriate UB faculty mentor. They are encouraged to consider individuals in their academic networks who can provide relevant feedback and support. The student should then share their project proposal with the chosen faculty member to see if they are willing to serve as their project mentor.
  • The faculty mentor will ensure the student completes adequate project specific preparation, tailored to the student’s skills and nature of the project. The faculty mentor will provide content related feedback, general guidance, and assist with troubleshooting as needed. Each project must be deemed as academically appropriate and worthwhile by the faculty mentor. 
  • Students will not be approved to complete a “Create Your Own Project” without a UB faculty mentor. 

Produce a tangible project outcome that demonstrates the student’s work and fulfills the requirement for the ELN Digital Badge.

  • The project outcome file is typically a research poster or slideshow that outlines the general project context, the student’s findings or unique contributions, and a conclusion that highlights the significance of the work. 
  • The final project outcome must be reviewed and approved by the faculty mentor before it is submitted via the ELN Digital Badge system. 
  • Upon earning the badge, this file is linked to the student’s badge as clickable evidence. The student can post their badge on their digital resume, LinkedIn, and ePortfolio to stand out to potential employers, supervisors, and academic professionals. The audience can click on the digital badge and view the student's final project outcome. This is a great way for students to share a professional sample of their work and make their application materials memorable! 

ELN knows that each project is unique and has different requirements. Therefore, we defer to the faculty mentor’s expertise when it comes to preparation, timeline, expectations for student time commitment, and the accuracy of the academic content in the final project outcome. ELN will review for general professionalism.   

Student completing a “Create Your Own” project must agree to complete all necessary online activities required to earn an ELN Digital Badge and complete the badge at the conclusion of their project. ELN staff will review all digital badge responses according to the given rubrics shared throughout the process. 

Project details

Timing, eligibility and other details
Length of commitment Flexible
Start time Flexible
In-person, remote, or hybrid?
Flexible
Level of collaboration Individual and group projects are welcomed
Benefits Varied
Who is eligible All undergraduate students

Start the project

  1. Secure a UB Faculty Member who is willing to serve as your project mentor. 
  2. Make an appointment with an ELN staff member to review ELN Digital Badge expectations.
  3. After you receive approval from ELN to start this project, click the button to start the digital badge. 

Preparation activities

Once you begin the digital badge series, you will have access to all the necessary activities and instructions. Your mentor has indicated they would like you to also complete the specific preparation activities below. Please reference this when you get to Step 2 of the Preparation Phase. 

  • Your specific preparation activities will be customized by you and the mentor to set you up for success to achieve your goals and project outcomes.