UMass Lowell DESIGNCAMP's After School

University Of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell MA

Investigators

Abstract

The Francis College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, will provide 126 middle school students with a series of challenging learning opportunities at an after school "DESIGNCAMP" program. The students, particularly females, will be recruited from Lowell and Lawrence communities with large Hispanic and Southeast Asian populations. Three "DESIGNCAMP" modules will be used during the summer term and the following two trimesters at an after school program where students participate for two hours once a week. The three "DESIGNCAMP" modules are Electrical and Mechanical Gizmos, Flight School, and Building a Better Contraption. The activities in these modules will immerse the students in inquiry, design-based, and hands-on problem-solving environments. The Francis College of Engineering offers the facilities for instruction and the access and use of engineering tools, equipment and technology as integral to the learning experience. Parents will be organized into a Parents' Council to provide continued support of students at home and to serve as an advisory body to the project. The project will utilize the existing partnership among U Mass Lowell College of Engineering, school districts, and business and industries. The results of this three-year project will be disseminated nationally through publications of youth and community-based organizations and presentations at science and engineering education conferences.