This presentation looks at ways in which undergraduate research and projects involving civic engagement are used to 1) teach students important skills in about video production, web development, and multimedia performance and installation and 2) prepare them for careers in digital media. The presentation focuses on two student works. The first is VJ Fleet, a sound and video performance piece created in which students outfitted three cars with sensor-based technologies. During the performance, students drove the cars around the city, recording sound and video images en route. These recordings were updated and remixed with new information picked up at locations the cars stopped and interacted with audiences. The project won the Undergraduate Student Research Award in spring 2009. The second project is the website created for a local family shelter. In this project beginning design students worked closely with the shelter administrators and residents in developing the website, visiting the shelter and attending its events. In both projects students not only gained important insights into design strategies and teamwork but they also became involved in and knowledgeable about the community in which they live.