Eleven teams from Lonny Grafman’s Engineering 215 class have designed and constructed a variety of innovative projects with the aim of providing real-world examples of engineering projects to middle school students. Projects include a solar charging station, recyclable cleaning station, a rainwater gutter fix, a disc golf course, and more. Each of these projects challenged the HSU students to devise innovative solutions that had long-term learning benefits for the Zane campus.
Students developed and built the various projects in cooperation with Zane Middle School, which provided design considerations, client feedback, and materials. Over the course of the spring semester, HSU students worked in teams to develop their projects from initial problem statement to final solution and execution. Zane staff and students provided context, and feedback, while local businesses, community members, and student teams contributed funds and donations to make the projects possible.
“Our pioneering partnership last year between university and public school resulted in great projects and strong relationships. This year we built upon that foundational template to create 11 inspiring innovations fueled by the collaboration between students of all ages,” says Grafman.
“I am very impressed with the quality of the projects designed by these college sophomores,” says Zane Principal Jan Schmidt. “We feel so fortunate to have partnered with Lonny and his students for the second year and we look forward to continuing our partnership with HSU in the coming years. I want to thank HSU Administration and Eureka City Schools Superintendent, Fred Van Vleck, for supporting this partnership.”
Zane Middle School is a STEAM Magnet School for students in 6th through 8th grade. The school offers a broad assortment of electives, based on the STEAM model, which integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics throughout the curriculum.
For more information on these projects, visit http://www.appropedia.org/Zane_Middle_School.