Overview

Information

Chapter: University of Akron

Primary Contact(s): Megan Mitchell and Alli Senedak

Primary Contact(s) email(s): eswakron@uakron.edu

Project Status: Completed

Project Start: Fall 2021

Completion Date: 6/23/2023

Project Type: Education, Energy (Solar/Wind)

HQ Program: Project Grants

Spatial Scope: City/Community

Estimated Duration (Semesters): 2

Majors Represented: Chemical, Mechanical

Years Represented: 1st Year Undergrad, 2nd Year Undergrad, 3rd Year Undergrad, 4th Year Undergrad, 5th Year Undergrad, Professionals

Estimated Project Cost: 2000

Funding Source: Self Generated, ESW Project Grant, OSGC Grant

Collaborators: Community partnership, Provided volunteers

Community Partners: Akron Public Schools, Society of Women in Engineering (UA Chapter), Elevate (UA Honors Org)

Project Description & Impact:

The project was to challenge the students with engineering and environmental researching to give a presentation to our panel of judges comprising of students and professors in the field, along with testing the capabilities of the project. The second half of the day was dedicated to teaching the students different pieces of engineering and sustainability with activities such as recycling activities, computer programming, and sound vibrations. The students had an amazing time and were engaged along with the chaperones as we encouraged them to join in the fun.

Project Completion Plan:

Outcomes: successful in challenging the students to have built solar cars or wind turbines and give professional level answers from questions of judges in the field.
Allow students to have a creative space for learning about sustainability and different types of engineering including sound waves, recycling, and binary coding

Best Practices: Planning earlier and earlier to get better costing in off-season for all rentals and purchases. Also allows for more time in the schools to get funding and timing on things like booking buses or coordinating carpools
Goal is to create more design challenges to change the event each year in a way that will reflect the issues of that year and keep it engaging for the students that choose to participate each year while in middle school.

Future Plans: Need to work on more commercial funding and sponsorship of the event. Also need to network more with schools in the area to build rapport and continue to grow the program.
Want to expand to the high school level with the design challenges and have an event in the fall for those students.

Community Members Impacted: 75

This is an annual event that is held at The University of Akron for middle schoolers to challenge them to various projects involving sustainability and STEMM. This year, we had over 40 students that participated in creating solar cars and competing in races and wind turbines that were tested on the power output in a wind tunnel.

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[COMPLETE] Akron Future Earth 2023

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