UX/UI Refresh

Organization Description: [Please share any context around your organization and how this project coincides with wider Organizational goals] Project Overview: This project focuses on improving the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of [Employer] ’s existing digital platform—such as a website, landing page, or service portal. Learners will conduct a UX audit, develop new layout concepts, and produce mobile-friendly, accessible designs that support greater engagement from donors, volunteers, or clients. Project Duration: 6 Weeks Project Hours: 150 Project Hours Per Learner: 30

Data Analytics – Customer Insights & Dashboard Development

Organization Description: [Please share any context around your organization and how this project coincides with wider Organizational goals] Project Overview: This project focuses on analyzing customer behavior and developing a data dashboard to visualize insights that support strategic decision-making. Learners will clean and prepare data, conduct exploratory analysis, and design an interactive dashboard using a tool such as Looker Studio, Tableau, or Power BI. Final deliverables will include a dashboard, business insights report, and a summary presentation. Project Duration: 6 Weeks Project Hours: 150 Project Hours Per Learner: 30

Cybersecurity: Security Audit & Infrastructure Enhancement

Project Duration: 6 Weeks  Project Hours: 150   Project Hours Per Learner: 30 Organization Description: [Please share any context around your organization and how this project coincides with wider Organizational goals] Project Overview: The project aims to evaluate and enhance our cybersecurity infrastructure by assessing security measures, networks, and systems, identifying vulnerabilities, and implementing best practices to strengthen overall protection. The primary objective is to analyze existing security protocols, pinpoint weaknesses, and provide a strategic report with actionable recommendations for improving cybersecurity measures.  The project is structured for a team of five learners, each dedicating 30 hours over six weeks (totaling 150 hours). Project Scope & Expectations: Learners will engage in: Conducting a full cybersecurity audit of existing IT infrastructure, developing a comprehensive assessment of the employer’s IT infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities. Identifying potential vulnerabilities in systems and networks, then documenting potential threats. Researching and recommending industry best practices for improved security measures. Assisting in the development or refinement of security policies and protocols. Documenting findings and presenting recommendations in a final report.

IT Support – Help Desk Optimization & Knowledge Base Development

Organization Description: [Please share any context around your organization and how this project coincides with wider Organizational goals] Project Overview This project simulates the role of an IT support team by focusing on optimizing help desk operations and developing a searchable, user-friendly knowledge base. Learners will analyze IT ticket trends, identify high-volume issues, document step-by-step resolutions, and recommend support process improvements that enhance efficiency and reduce repeat requests.

Lean Website Development & Optimization

Organization Description: [Please share any context around your organization and how this project coincides with wider Organizational goals] Note for employers: By clearly defining the scope, students can grasp the project's depth and requirements, ensuring they can meet expectations within the designated timeframe. Project Overview: This project focuses on building or optimizing a simple, high-impact website for our organization, designed for visibility, functionality, and accessibility. Learners will develop or enhance a lightweight site using tools like Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress, ensuring it supports outreach, donations, and credibility. Project Duration: 6 Weeks Project Hours: 150 Project Hours Per Learner: 30

Website Performance Checkup & Basic SEO Fixes

Organization Description: [Please share any context around your organization and how this project coincides with wider Organizational goals] Project Overview:   This project helps improve the health and visibility of our organizations website by focusing on performance audits and simple SEO enhancements. Learners will use free tools to analyze page speed, mobile responsiveness, and basic on-page SEO. They’ll document issues, suggest improvements, and help implement quick wins. Project Duration: 6 Weeks Project Hours: 150 Project Hours Per Learner: 30

Cybersecurity: Website Security Audit & Hardening Recommendations

Project Duration: 6 Weeks  Project Hours: 150   Project Hours Per Learner: 30 Organization Description: [Please share any context around your organization and how this project coincides with wider Organizational goals] Project Overview This project focuses on assessing and improving the security of our website. The team will conduct a basic security audit, identify vulnerabilities, and propose or implement security improvements. The project is structured for a team of five learners, each dedicating 30 hours over six weeks (totalling 150 hours). Project Scope & Expectations: Learners will engage in: Conducting a security audit of the existing website (e.g., WordPress, Wix, Shopify, custom, etc.). Identifying vulnerabilities, including outdated plugins, weak passwords, and missing HTTPS. Reviewing user permissions and access controls to ensure security best practices. Recommending or implementing basic security hardening measures. Developing a basic incident response guide for handling security breaches.

Basic Website Maintenance & Digital Housekeeping

Organization Description: [Please share any context around your organization and how this project coincides with wider Organizational goals] Project Overview: This project is designed to clean up, stabilize, and future-proof our website. Whether built on Wix, WordPress, or another platform, learners will conduct a full audit, resolve common issues, improve performance, and leave behind clear documentation for future maintenance. This work is ideal for small organizations needing to bring their site to a stronger baseline with limited internal resources. Project Duration: 6 Weeks Project Hours: 150 Project Hours Per Learner: 30

AscentUP Project Template

Note for employers: Please ensure you adjust this template to your business needs, replacing all text prompts with project specifics. Please also remove all instructional text (italics) so it is not visible to the participants. You will get 5 learners matched with your project. Each learner will complete a total of 30 hours of work over the course of 6 weeks. Hours are inclusive of team meetings, onboarding, and work contributed toward the project deliverables.  What is the main goal of this project?  Questions to Consider:  Is this goal clear to learners? Have you specified the necessary skills or experience level for learners? Have you shared how it benefits your organization and how it’s beneficial for learners?  Company Name: [Enter Company Name] Mission, Vision, Values, or other unique aspects of your company:  This question offers AscentUP and their learners an opportunity to gain insights into your company culture, values, and the impactful work you do.  At [Your Company Name], we pride ourselves on [mention core values, mission, or unique aspects of your company]. Project Title: [Enter Project Title] Project Goal:  The main goal of this project is to [clearly share the specific goal or outcome of the project] and we expect learners to [clearly outline what you think learners will learn or get out of this project].