25 Impressive College Kickstarter Projects You Should Check Out

College is a great time to explore your creativity, and Kickstarter is a great place to find the funds to make your creative dreams a reality. So it’s no wonder that college students, groups, and even faculty members have flocked to the site to get their projects off the ground. Whether they’re short films, art installations, or even school newspapers, these Kickstarter projects deserve a second look.

1. On Repeat

   Rhode Island School of Design student Marissa Goldman is at the helm of a successfully funded art project called On Repeat. Her goal is to transform warehouse space into a pop-up gallery, and we’re excited to see her idea come to fruition.

2. Shakespeare Iraq

   This group of Iraqi college students have formed a Shakespearean company, and as part of this project, are going to perform at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Last June, this remarkable group was the first to do an English-language Shakespeare production in a public Iraq theater, and they are wildly celebratory about their upcoming performance in Oregon.

3. Full Measure’s Newest Album

   This project supports the fifth album from University of Pennsylvania’s a capella group, Full Measure. With the help of generous backers, the group has more than doubled their original goal of $1,000, and will be able to cover the manufacturing costs of their full-length album.

4. Portals

   Jayne Vidheecharoen’s Art Center College of Design thesis project Portals shares a way to make the virtual world come to life. In these boxes, two people can interact virtually with a definite presence in the real world.

5. Love Motel for Insects

   School of Visual Arts faculty member and celebrated artist Brandon Ballengée has taken on this project to bring interactive, outdoor artwork to New York City. Using ultraviolet lights, this installation will attract insects, encouraging public interaction with the nocturnal species through not just the art, but related community events including picnics and musical events.

6. Parecomic

   Recent Minneapolis College of Art and Design graduate Carl Thompson has illustrated this documentary graphic novel, Parecomic, which shares the true story of Michael Albert, a U.S.left-wing activist. Following Albert’s story, the novel takes a look at the system of participatory economics and how it affects us all.

7. The Neon Project

   Ten college architecture students in New York are coming together to create this art project for the public space. The project is described as a mega-furniture installation, with Neon Pods used to give visitors an intensely relaxing moment to escape the fast pace of NYC.
   

8. The Beat

   This publication from Purchase College has been successful online and through social media, but is now expanding into print production. With this Kickstarter project, The Beat hopes to not only raise awareness of their publication, but also find the money to print their first issue.

9. Bard College Farm

   This project aims to bring a farm to Bard College, creating a space not just for growing, but for learning about food. This one-acre farm has reached its goal, and with Bard College matching funds 2:1, now has the money to make it all happen.

10. Psy

    Savannah College of Art and Design student Starlia Prichard has created this weekly webcomic about a girl with biokinetic powers. The comic has enjoyed great success, and with this Kickstarter project, will put Volume 1 in print for greater distribution.

11. Words in Perspective

    Stanford Graduate Design Program student Tom Cohlmia’s sculpture project has found immense success already, currently reaching nearly three times its original goal with several days to go. And it’s clear why Cohlmia has done so well: his design is simply amazing, etching fragments into blocks of crystal that offer a variety of different words and shapes that change depending on your perspective.

12. Turn

    This Michigan State University student produced web series project is an amazingly low-budget drama full of secret agents and science fiction. It’s completely student-run, with all aspects of production undertaken by Michigan State and Lansing Community College students.

13. Filming the Replication of a 17th Century Wooden Synagogue

    Massachusetts College of Art and design professors Rick and Laura Brown are working on this project to send a film crew to Poland for a historic opportunity: recording the reconstruction of the Gwozdziec synagogue. Through this documentary, the Professors Brown hope to follow the history and knowledge behind the construction of these iconic wooden synagogues that were obliterated in World War II.

14. Memory Tricks!

    Eight animation students from the Maryland Institute College of Art are teaming up with eight fifth-grade girls to create this project: a series of animations that help students learn difficult words, times tables, and more. These short films empower young girls to not only learn and share memory tricks, but get an introduction to the principles of animation as well.

15. Oh! You Pretty Thing

    This project is a short film from Emerson College, sharing the story of a young girl who is a big fan of rock music and suddenly finds fame in the form of a viral dance video. This project has already met its goal for filming, and is pushing forward for post-production support.
    
    
    
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