Harnessing AI for Social Impact: Insights from the 2023 Orchard Fellowship

To address the need for these practices to be cultivated among a new breed of leaders, Openfields hosted the Orchard Systems Intelligence Fellowship, a pioneering 6-week immersive program to equip aspiring changemakers with the tools and expertise needed to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. The program included an in-person orientation and bootcamp, regular, weekly check-ins, and final presentations. The fellows and their projects were as follows:

• Dalmondeh D. Nayreau is a rising junior at Furman University, completing a B.A. in Public Health + Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is passionate about social justice and advocacy regarding issues of women and children's health. She is a curious learner and often embraces a good challenge. DD is from Paynesville, Liberia.

Project: protecting and reintegrating gender-based violence survivors.

• Isaac Bender is a rising senior attending Furman University majoring in Health Sciences B.S. His favorite areas of study are public health and policy. He recently finished his research on the epidemiological association between marijuana and sleep. After his undergraduate studies, he has aspirations of going into law.

Project: navigating the immigration landscape and the power of sanctuary cities

• Gregory Render-Butler is a graduate of Mercer University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in biology. During his time at Mercer, Gregory was involved in multiple research projects. His senior thesis explored the factors that influenced students to feel weathered. After college, Gregory spent time working with the Boys & Girls Club of Central Georgia. In his spare time Gregory enjoys reading, playing sports, and video games.

Project: combating malnutrition in the United States through innovation

Key components of the fellowship:

• Fellows were introduced to a disciplined learning approach amplified by AI, enabling them to gather, synthesize, and evaluate content from diverse sources effectively.

• Fellows learned to develop custom AI feeds, tailored to their chosen social systems, enabling them to access relevant insights and trends in real-time from scholarly articles, news outlets, NGO reports, and social media platforms

• Fellows were trained in best practices for research evaluation, learning how to critically assess the credibility, validity, and applicability of information.

• Through practical exercises, fellows practiced identifying historical through-lines, predicting emerging trends, and assessing the value of ideas within their field of study.

• Fellows benefited from the expertise of Openfields’ experienced staff through mentorship and collaboration. Weekly roundtables provided a forum for feedback, troubleshooting, and collaborative learning with other fellows.

• The program culminated in a final deliverable where fellows synthesized and applied their knowledge to a specific problem or question within their chosen social system, showcasing their understanding and insights through clear, concise, and impactful presentations.

Impact

The experience provided fellows with practical experience leveraging research, strategy, and data to affect social change. Fellows gained access to proprietary AI research tools and immersed themselves in Openfields’ unique approach to identifying and making sense of trends. They developed a nuanced understanding of social systems and learned how to effectively communicate their importance and future trajectory. The final deliverables showcased fellows’ knowledge and insights, contributing to their personal growth and developing a deeper understanding of their chosen social issues. Fellows focused on critical areas such as navigating the immigration landscape and the power of sanctuary cities; protecting and reintegrating gender-based violence survivors; and combating malnutrition in the United States through innovation. Overall, the fellowship cultivated a community of future leaders and built a strong professional network committed to driving positive change in complex social systems.