Engineering Projects in Community Service
EPICS is a unique program in which teams of students are designing, building, and deploying real systems to solve engineering-based problems for local community service and education organizations. EPICS was founded at Purdue University in Fall 1995 and has since spread to a diverse group of K-12 Schools and Universities in the United States and abroad.
EPICS Core Initiatives
Engineers are uniquely equipped to develop solutions to today’s challenges, which ultimately allows them to change communities. EPICS facilitates that change now and for future generations by creating a world where engineering education is intimately connected to community service.
EPICS K-12 Vision Statement:
"To inspire and prepare students for the future while improving their communities today."
EPICS K-12 Mission Statement:
"The EPICS K-12 Program will be a leader in developing, disseminating, and supporting service learning models that engage students in engineering and computing-based design projects that meet the needs of their communities."
EPICS K-12 Goals:
Building Partnerships
Hands on Learning Experiences
Helping the Community
Innovative Teaching
Learning Leadership and Teamwork
Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers
Engaging More Students
EPICS K-12 Vision Statement:
"To inspire and prepare students for the future while improving their communities today."
EPICS K-12 Mission Statement:
"The EPICS K-12 Program will be a leader in developing, disseminating, and supporting service learning models that engage students in engineering and computing-based design projects that meet the needs of their communities."
EPICS K-12 Goals:
Building Partnerships
Hands on Learning Experiences
Helping the Community
Innovative Teaching
Learning Leadership and Teamwork
Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers
Engaging More Students
EPICS Core Values
- CIVIC ENGAGEMENT & SERVICE LEARNING
- Service learning is a teaching and learning strategy that integrates meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
- Why is it important to give back to the community where you live with your time, talents, and skills?
- How can civic engagement not only help the community, but also help you?
- What are the economic impacts, social implications, professional opportunities, and personal benefits of service learning?
- DESIGN THINKING
- The iterative design process means you research, identify a need, generate ideas to meet that need, develop a prototype, test that prototype, amend the design, create a new prototype and begin the process all over again.
- What is a prototype, and why is it such a valuable part of this process?
- How do we benefit from real learning with real projects?
- TEAMING SKILLS
- What are the characteristics of good teamwork and how will we implement these in our project?
Categories of Design Projects
Access and Abilities
These projects solve accessibility issues within communities, enable adaptive services, establish clinics for those in need, and develop assistive technologies.
Environment & Agriculture
Projects in this area focus on developing new ways to use renewable energy sources to better serve communities, such as creating drinkable water and generating electricity as well as improving communication services. Students also gain exposure to careers in alternative energy and environmental solutions.
Education and Outreach:
Projects in this area provide communities and schools new curriculums and facilities to provide hands-on learning experiences
Human Services
Students involved in these projects leverage technology to address the tremendous scope of community needs. This includes homelessness prevention, affordable housing, family and children agencies, human trafficking, neighborhood revitalization, and local government.
https://epics.ieee.org/about/
These projects solve accessibility issues within communities, enable adaptive services, establish clinics for those in need, and develop assistive technologies.
Environment & Agriculture
Projects in this area focus on developing new ways to use renewable energy sources to better serve communities, such as creating drinkable water and generating electricity as well as improving communication services. Students also gain exposure to careers in alternative energy and environmental solutions.
Education and Outreach:
Projects in this area provide communities and schools new curriculums and facilities to provide hands-on learning experiences
Human Services
Students involved in these projects leverage technology to address the tremendous scope of community needs. This includes homelessness prevention, affordable housing, family and children agencies, human trafficking, neighborhood revitalization, and local government.
https://epics.ieee.org/about/
What is Engineering?
What is Human-Centered Design?
Project Partners
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Who are the members of our community that would benefit from an EPICS project? How do we assess what a project partner's needs are? How can we ensure we design a product that meets those needs?
Who are the members of our community that would benefit from an EPICS project? How do we assess what a project partner's needs are? How can we ensure we design a product that meets those needs?
Examples of EPICS High Projects:
A greenhouse to grow vegetables for local community gardens, Lakers HS, MI
English as a Second Language software to aide in communications between parents and the school, McCutcheon HS, IN
Water quality sampling station for East River, Frederick Douglass Academy, NY
Campus recycling program and educational materials to encourage other schools to adopt the program, Pacific Ridge HS, CA
Adaptive lunch tray for special needs students, High Tech High, CA
Sustainability plan for Lake Michigan Beach, Westinghouse College Prep
Examples of Community Partners Include:
Local non-profit organizations (Habitat for Humanity, YWCA)
Local Government Offices (County Probation Department, City Parks Department)
Feeder or Sister Schools (Local Middle and Elementary Schools, Area High Schools)
Area Museums and Zoos
Purdue University's Examples of EPICS HS Projects - Foxcroft's collaboration with Boulder Crest Retreat featured on Purdue's website
The Engineering Design Challenge
EPICS Design Cycle
| epics_design_process.pdf |
Curriculum Overview:
- DESIGN PHASE 1: Project Identification - Identify a specific goal that addresses a compelling need
- DESIGN PHASE 2: Specification Development - Determine “what” is needed by understanding the context, stakeholders, requirements of the project, and why current solutions don’t meet need, and develop measurable criteria in which design concepts can be evaluated. EX: DECISION MATRIX
- DESIGN PHASE 3: Conceptual Design - Explore the “how.” Expand the design space to include as many solutions as possible. Evaluate different approaches and selecting “best” one to move forward. EX: SCAMPER METHOD
- DESIGN PHASE 4: Detailed Design - Design working prototype which meets functional specifications.
- DESIGN PHASE 5: Delivery - Refine the detailed design so as to produce a product that is ready to be delivered! In addition, develop user manuals and training materials.
- Service/Maintenance Phase - Evaluate the performance of fielded project and determine what resources are necessary to support and maintain the project.
- Project Partner and Advisor approve continued fielding of project. If not, Retire or Redesign.
