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Borjana Mikic, Engineering
In recent years, the CECE has served as the community partner for EGR100, Engineering for Everyone, an introduction to engineering through participation in a semester-long team-based design project. Students develop a sound understanding of the engineering design process, including initial problem identification, brainstorming, background research, establishment of design criteria, development of metrics and methods for evaluating alternative designs, prototype development, and proof of concept testing. Student teams worked with clients (teachers) and users (children) from the CECE to design experiential learning tools for preschool children.
Examples of projects include:
Building Big:
Preschool children are fascinated by building large structures out of any available materials. The act of handling and constructing large objects contributes to their sense of power and autonomy, and using these structures encourages creative, imaginary play while at the same time teaching them the concepts of stability, strength, and aesthetic appreciation. The aim of this project was to design and fabricate a building 'kit' to enable the children to safely construct large structures. The kit itself was required to be portable and could not require a tremendous amount of storage space.
Children exploring building material.
In the Dark:
A common medium for preschool children to explore is light. The aim of this project was to construct a physical space that would serve as a large dark space or 'room' within a classroom in which children could explore the phenomena of shadow and light. The space needed to be portable and allow multiple children (and teachers) to use it at the same time.
Children looking at a model of a dark space.
Outdoor Studio Space:
An important space at the CECE is the art studio where children are able to explore multiple artistic media and modes of expression. In the warmer months, there is often a desire to do some of this work outside, and yet there is no good space for doing this. The CECE is currently going through a new playground redesign, and there will be an area in the new playground space that would be suitable for setting up some form of outdoor art studio. The goal of this project was to design a series of portable, modular, multipurpose flat surfaces that can provide multiple levels of flat space for art exploration outdoors.
Children using a model of the outdoor
studio space designed by students.
Smith College Picker Engineering Program
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