This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
This engineering education research award to Tufts University in collaboration with University of Colorado-Boulder and Michigan Technological University will study how service learning activities can best be used to enhance student learning about sustainability. The project will review and assess existing service learning activities which are focused on sustainability, and then describe the "best practices" in a manner which helps those who seek to start or refine activities. The results will be made available through conferences, publications and a dedicated internet site where interested parties may view and contribute. The overall goal is to better prepare students for the practice of engineering by developing their understanding of environmental sustainability through service learning. These techniques are expected to increase students' interest in engineering and will enhance the number who complete engineering degrees and are ready to fill engineering jobs.