“High Schools Improving Lives with Engineering Projects in Community Service-Learning” Serve Prepare Succeed Pamela Dexter EPICS High School Program Coordinator Purdue University Explore William Oakes EPICS Program Director Assoc. Professor, Engineering Education Purdue University

What is EPICS High?  EPICS brings students together with the community and exposes them to STEM fields.  Teams of students partner with a non-profit organization to complete projects filling needs to help the organizations better serve the community.  Connects STEM with service-learning in high schools

The EPICS Consortium 20 University EPICS Programs 47 High School Programs in 9 states California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Virginia, Texas, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Illinois (New!) EPICS High Impact = Diversity! o 1875 Students o 42% Females o 37% Underrepresented Minorities o Over 253,000 people positively impacted by EPICS High projects!

Flexible Program Models EPICS High is flexible in helping schools implement. A variety of successful existing models in rural, suburban and urban areas are in place for replication. Current models include: In-school Programs… EPICS as a class or part of an existing class After-schools Programs… also include clubs A mix of in-school and after-school… allows more students to be involved Model schools have teachers from varying subject areas involved in their EPICS programs. EPICS is working to build clusters of schools that may find ways to bring their area students together and offer support to one another.

EPICS High Motivation: Making Connections High percentage of students interested in volunteering Service-learning is rarely connected with STEM learning Attracting a diverse population of students to STEM fields One goal is to increase student awareness of, and interest in engineering, computing and technology fields. Positive results from student surveys in :  63% of students more likely to pursue a career in engineering  Before EPICS - 27% had no interest in engineering  After 1 term in EPICS - 47% of those had a strong interest in engineering

Communication Skills Reinforces STEM Learning Entrepreneurship Career Exploration Student Benefits: Community Benefits: Improve current services Try new, innovative ideas Positioning as a leader among area non-profits Access to technical knowledge/resources that would otherwise be prohibitively expensive Meeting Needs EPICS is an innovative, hands-on, problem based teaching method Professional Skills Community Involvement Real World Experience

Meeting Standards Many standards can be achieved through EPICS. Students with varying academic interests play a role on EPICS teams. Academic standards met by EPICS projects could easily include:  Math ex: Problem-solving and utilizing math skills  Science ex: Using scientific theories in practical applications  Language Arts ex: Master good communication in order to both receive and disseminate information and understand others

EPICS Projects Education: K-12 schools, museums, after- school programs Access and abilities: clinics for children with disabilities, programs for adults with disabilities, assistive technology Human services: Habitat for Humanity, humane societies, food pantries, neighborhood revitalization, local government Environment: environmental organizations, neighborhood associations, parks & recreation

Project Example: McCutcheon High School, Indiana Design Projects with an Educational Outreach and Access and Abilities Focus Designed software that gives welcome message & common task menu for Hispanic speakers registering for classes, and then reverts the information to English for counselors/school use Adapted a walker for a special needs student Designed interactive & computerized phonics lessons for the school corporation utilized to teach young learners and ESL students.

Project Example: Fredrick Douglass Academy, New York Bioengineering: Designed and built green spaces within a Harlem Senior Center to improve air quality and for beautification efforts Environmental Engineering: Designed and monitor water quality sampling station for the East River and report findings to the city and local organizations working to improve the water quality Education and Outreach: Partnering with elementary school teachers to create projects and design equipment that help them teach science

Project Example: Pacific Ridge School, California Educational Outreach and Environmental Projects Designed and constructed athletic equipment storage box, garden equipment storage shed, and field-side benches for new campus Designed and implemented a campus recycling program then educated feeder schools on their program and helped them to implement a similar program at their schools Students were designing prototypes to determine how to utilize solar power on their school campus

EPICS is Design-based, Service-learning EPICS projects follow a design process consisting of steps that include identifying needs, analyzing solutions, and redesigning. Design is learned through experience Experience making mistakes, good guesses and mistakes Experience seeing implications of decisions Experience in serving a real customer or user Teachers act in a role of facilitators or coaches Most of time spent guiding design work and exploration Allow students to experience their decisions and work in design Guide students in filling roles on the team and leading the projects

EPICS High Curriculum Designed for flexibility Great deal of input from High School teachers Consists of the following 5 modules: 1.Human-Centered Design 2.Service Learning 3.Cultural Context and Ethics 4.Teamwork 5.Communication Listed in the curriculum are sections within each module that state learning objectives and national academic standards met.

Where do we start?... You already have! Summer training is the best place to start! This week will include sessions on the following topics : Partnerships Project Management Teaming Assessment Teaching Design Social Context and Culture The EPICS Model & Service-Learning Our goal is for you to leave with the tools and planning needed to implement and maintain successful EPICS High programs Look for 2012 Training Dates in early Spring!

What will I get if I become an EPICS High site? Professional Development Opportunities Support and Resources from EPICS Headquarters Exposure to Other EPICS High Sites and Teachers Access to University and Corporate Mentors for Needed Expertise and Resources EPICS High Curriculum Funding Leads That Arise Through Grants or Corporations Access to Professional Societies such as National Society of Black Engineers, Society of Women in Engineering Members, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers members To Be a Reconginzied Leader in Education

EPICS High Contact Information EPICS High Headquartered at Purdue University Ph. (765) Website: Program Coordinator: Pamela Dexter