Community Design Projects

A design project is the major focus of the camp experience and is the primary means of introducing the nature of engineering as a collaborative problem solving process that benefits people and organizations.

Project sponsors (in or close to the city of Worcester) are usually identified between January and June of each year. A program staff member meets with the sponsor, works out the scope of the project, and discusses the commitment involved. Ten campers (entering 7th grade, 11-12 years old), two to three high school students (juniors or seniors) and one middle school teacher are all assigned to one project for the two weeks of the camp. During that time, the team visits the project site and is guided through the engineering design process back on the WPI campus, typically working three hours a day on the project. Part of the design process includes research and consultation with experts as appropriate (e.g., carpenters, computing support staff.) The team presents a status report to the client to get feedback partway through the project, writes a comprehensive report containing their findings and recommendations, and makes a final presentation to the sponsor and to parents. Camp Reach staff, and usually the campers themselves, assist the sponsor in implementing the girls' design in the year following the program.

What Tends to Make a Good Project for Camp Reach?

The client organization has a meaningful problem or need and a general idea about how a solution could be found, but does not have the time to figure out all of the details to identify a good solution. The campers do the legwork, interview experts, analyze the costs, etc.
The problem or need is reasonably complex but not too complex for this age group. There should be multiple criteria or constraints for them to consider (e.g., functionality, aesthetics, budget constraint), and there should be alternative solutions to the problem. In other words, the solution to the problem should not be absolutely obvious. For example, the problem statement "We don't have enough shelves in our storage closet" is too simple; "we're facing challenges with our storage areas" is not.
The more the problem is tied to societal issues that young people care about, the better: the environment, health and well being of children or elders, poverty alleviation, quality of life issues, helping the disadvantaged in our society, enrichment of education, etc.
The project need NOT involve obvious uses of technology. The program emphasizes engineering as problem definition and problem solving, with or without technical components.

What Are Expectations for Project Sponsors?

There are no sponsor fees for these projects-- everyone works as a volunteer-- but the sponsor must have the funding to implement the girls' recommendations as long as they stay within whatever budget is specified. The budget might be very small as long as it is appropriate for the scope of the project. Project implementation should not rely on a proposal for funding that is based on the team's final report. Budget constraints for Camp Reach projects have varied from $25 to many thousands of dollars.
The sponsor must also have the staffing resources and commitment to implement at least some of the girls' recommendations within the 6-9 months after the camp. It is understood that adjustments may need to be made after further consideration of the team's final report; that's a natural part of the design process.
The time commitment we ask of sponsors during the two-week program is approximately 5 hours, along with phone or email availability for consultation. The time commitment to implement the project following the program varies with the nature of the project.

Past Projects

Hope Lodge of the American Cancer Society (2004): Hope Lodge is a house in Worcester where people receiving cancer treatment far away from their own homes can live in a supportive group environment, free of charge. There is only one storage room in the house and it was very crowded and unorganized. The staff at Hope Lodge presented a team with the challenge of reorganizing the storage room with a budget of $2000. The girls redesigned the shelving and used other storage strategies to accommodate items from teddy bears to toilet paper. They produced a detailed floor plan and purchasing list, and the plan was implemented by Hope Lodge in the fall and winter of 2004.

Regional Environmental Council (2004): In the summer of 2004, the REC moved to a new office location in Worcester with large, “storefront” windows. They wanted to take advantage of the windows to communicate the mission and activities of their organization to the local community. Their landlord, however, was concerned that any window displays be professional and neat, without using tape on the windows, for example. The REC asked the Camp Reach team to design window displays that would meet these goals, within a materials budget of about $20! The team developed window display text and visuals that highlighted REC programs, connected with nature and the environment, and were bilingual to embrace the diversity of the neighborhood. They also developed a plan for a three-dimension display about recycling.

YWCA of Central Massachusetts (2004): The YWCA facilities manager sought assistance with two playground maintenance issues at the YWCA headquarters in downtown Worcester. In a larger playground for preschoolers, the mulch that was put down regularly as a safety measure was spilling outside the chain link fence. The Reach team was asked to come up with a low-cost solution for keeping the mulch inside the playground. In a smaller playground for infants and toddlers, crabapples from two trees created a choking hazard. The team was asked to develop and analyze alternatives for keeping the crabapples off the ground, while maintaining the trees, if possible, as shelter from the sun.

Have an idea for a project? Interested in learning more?

You can either fill out the web-based form below, call us at +1-508-831-5195, or write:

Prof. Chrys Demetry
WPI, Mechanical Engineering Dept.
100 Institute Rd.
Worcester, MA 01609

Your name:
Phone number:
E-mail address (optional):
Organization:
Describe briefly your project idea or the additional information you would like:
Type in the following two words

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Last modified: June 22, 2007 11:54:06