https://www.gwht-ignite-learning.com/
Duke Ignite is a free, 8-week hybrid program for Durham-area middle school and high school students in partnership with the Museum of Life and Science. Middle school students will meet, either virtually via Zoom or in person at the Museum of Life and Science (MLS) or Duke, with Duke University undergraduate trainers on Sundays each Spring. Students prototype solutions toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals of Clean Energy, Clean Water, or Good Health. Ignite is designed to attract, retain, and sustain creative students to engineering design. The best solutions are developed by those who directly experience social challenges, so Ignite aims to inspire confident problem solvers and critical thinkers to address local and global challenges in their communities. IGNITE students use the human-centered design process and learn technical Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) skills to develop an idea from sketch to prototype for a specific social challenge.
Program activities include:
- Middle and high schoolers learn engineering skills, develop writing and presentation skills, and practice iterative problem-solving.
- 3 prototype courses on light, water, or health with the unifying theme of human-centered design
- Undergraduate students serve as Ignite Trainers and guide students through the human-centered design process while honing their teaching and mentoring skills and practicing their engineering skills, themselves.
ELIGIBILITY. This program is for…
- Middle School (6-8)
- High School (9-12)
The program encourages applications from individuals who identify as belonging to any of the following groups:
- Race/ethnic groups who are underrepresented in STEM, biomedical sciences, or medical fields
- Females
- Historically or socioeconomically disadvantaged
- Black or African American
- Hispanic, Latino/a, or of Spanish origin
- Native Alaskan or Native American
For questions, contact megan.madonna@duke.edu
PROGRAM SUPPORT
This program was established in 2014 and was formerly funded through grants awarded by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund and the National Science Foundation. Ignite is housed in Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering.
For questions about funding and other forms of support for this program, contact:
- Nimmi Ramanujam, PhD, Principal Investigator (nimmi.ramanujam@duke.edu)
- Megan Madonna, PhD, Program Director (megan.madonna@duke.edu)
