Project-based Learning

Yahoo! News republished an article originally from The Worcester News in the United Kingdom which documented the experience this spring of students from WPI who were in Worcester, England to conduct their interactive qualifying projects with local community partners.

Fabio Carrera, teaching professor in The Global School and director of the Venice Project Center, appeared on CNN's The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper as part of an episode titled "Saving Venice." Carrera, who oversees WPI student projects focused on Venice's transformation, provided analysis on some of the city's current challenges with tourism and transportation. A subscription is required to view the episode, however a free transcript is available at this link.

As part of their Interactive Qualifying Project, four students at WPI's Nantucket Project Center are conducting a survey about usage of the Nantucket Community Pool. The project, in partnership with the Nantucket Community School, is one of 89 projects that WPI students have conducted at the project center since 2008 in collaboration with local organizations and town officials. “These projects have covered a wide variety of topics in areas such as energy conservation, museum studies, parks and recreation, coastal erosion, parking, sustainable agriculture, affordable housing, facilities management, light pollution, and town trees," said Nantucket Project Center Director Dominic Golding.

Nantucket is working in partnership with four WPI students and the non-profit Nantucket Lights on a project to reduce light pollution. As part of the students’ Interactive Qualifying Project, the students will take feedback from residents on new LED streetlights and potential future lighting decisions as part of the town's adoption of an outdoor lighting by-law.