Case studies of two projects pertaining to information technology and assistive devices

We examine the introduction of engineering design to high school and first-year college students via real community service-learning projects (CSLP). CSLP was chosen because the goal in the course is two-fold: (1) to introduce students to basic engineering principles and (2) to provide them with the opportunity to see the application of such concepts in society. CSLP aims to simulate a design environment in which students with limited technical backgrounds and diverse interests strive to develop viable solutions to actual problems while developing professional skills through client interaction. We provide a detailed discussion on two long-term projects, with approximately 210 student participants, applied both in the high-school and first-year college setting affiliated with the Wildlife Conservation Society and New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, respectively, pertaining to information technology and assistive devices. This approach has been successful in implementation and sustainability. Client satisfaction with the results has lead to the beginning implementation stages. High-school student experiences has led to an increased interest in the pursuit of higher engineering education while first-year college evaluations indicate most felt a renewed interest about their intended major. Future improvements to facilitate sustainability of this program include smoothening the transition process between teams.