Blum Center for Developing Economies
News

Blum Center News: Visual Notetaking, A New Way To Learn

Blum Center
December 4, 2012
1 min

A black and white hand-drawn infographic titled "How is Wealth Formed?" It illustrates the economic disparity between the wealthiest 1% and the rest of the population, represented by phrases such as "The Other 99%," "We have become the 1% Nation," and "15% or 46.2 million Americans live below the poverty line."

The #GlobalPOV Project’s story artist, Abby VanMuijen, and her live-action sketch skillz were covered in the Fall 2012 edition of the Blum Center newsletter. As a student, VanMuijen doodled her way to producing The Global Poverty Coloring Book, which students now use as a learning aid in Prof. Roy’s Global Poverty class. In addition to now working as our story artist extraordinaire, VanMuijen is teaching a DeCal class, titled “Visual Notetaking 101,” which attracts 150 students from departments all over campus. According to VanMuijen:

I wasn’t magically bestowed with the ability to take notes the way I do. It was something I practiced every day, and taught myself how to do. I started “Visual Notetaking 101″ because I realized this is a skill that people can learn. Visual notetaking can revolutionize your entire outlook on your education, as it did for me. Seeing your thoughts and ideas and opinions come to life, even if just on paper, is empowering.”

To read the full article, click here.

Related Articles

The GPP class of 2025 (Photo by Amy Sullivan)
Global Poverty & Practice
News
GPP’s Class of 2025 Driven by Compassion, Connection, and Humanity
As this year’s Global Poverty and Practice (GPP) graduates stepped onto the stage to receive their diplomas, they carried with them a hard-earned insight: the injustices they spent years studying weren’t distant or theoretical — they were urgent and unfolding all around them. Their time in the program has prepared them to enter the world beyond Berkeley with a strong sense of purpose, ready to confront poverty in a time of growing global uncertainty.
Alexa Vazquez
June 5, 2025
6 mins
Big Ideas photo
Big Ideas
News
AgriSolar’s Winning Pitch Earns $20,000 to Fund their Big Idea
AgriSolar — a mobile and scalable solar-powered irrigation system designed for smallholder farmers’ accessibility and affordability — took home top honors and the first-ever Biggie trophy in the 12th annual Big Ideas Grand Prize Pitch Day on May 7.
Blum Center
May 23, 2025
1 min
Ekta Raghuwanshi and Maria Denna with their students in Kasigau (Photo by Denna).
Development Engineering
News
UC Berkeley Development Engineering Students Team Up with ABE Club to Strengthen Education in Kasigau, Kenya
Ekta Raghuwanshi and Maria Denna, her MDevEng classmate, worked at A Better Education Club as part of an internship pilot program that DevEng and ABE Club look to expand in the coming years. The organization, based in Kenya's southwestern region of Kasigau, supports youth education and women’s empowerment by focusing on health, food security, hygiene, and farming practices.
Sam Goldman
March 21, 2025
6 mins

Host and Fellow Responsibilities

Host Organizations

  • Identify staff supervisor to manage I&E Climate Action Fellow
  • Submit fellowship description and tasks
  • Engage in the matching process
  • Mentor and advise students
  • Communicate with Berkeley program director and give feedback on the program.

Berkeley Program Director​

  • Communicate with host organizations, students, and other university departments to ensure smooth program operations

Student Fellows

  • Complete application and cohort activities
  • Communicate with staff and host organizations
  • Successfully complete assignments from host organization during summer practicum
  • Summarize and report summer experience activities post-fellowship