Empowering Students & Communities with Engineering Design

Investigating community issues in math and science classes can promote equitable teaching practices and culturally relevant learning. But do students walk away feeling overwhelmed by realities? Or empowered to work for solutions? Learn how the engineering design process can support students to deepen their understanding of challenges in their communities AND feel empowered to design and advocate for just solutions to those challenges. Participants will engage in rich engineering projects, unpack associated community issues and their implications, and explore how practices of science, math, and engineering can help learners develop and optimize solutions to these issues. The course highlights community empowerment through lines of the engineering design process: uncovering values, students as agents of change, and stakeholders and encouraging voices. Led by instructors who are experienced in integrating engineering into math and science classes, this course will support participants in identifying entry points in their own curriculum for integrating engineering and community issues. 

Highlights

• Explore how various engineering design challenges provide students with opportunities for equitable learning, engagement in community issues, and agency in exploring and solving problems in their world 
• Develop facilitation skills for using the engineering design process in your classroom
• Identify opportunities in your own curriculum to integrate empowered engineering projects

Associated workshops
Engineering to Empower