Real World Application
Research shows that STEM education is most engaging for girls when it has a clear and meaningful application in the world surrounding us. With that in mind, Laurel's engineering class worked with a Laurel service learning program to identify an engineering project that would be a meaningful part of the service project: designing chicken coops for the Olevolos Project, a nonprofit orphanage in Tanzania. The Principles of Engineering class designed a functional, easy–to-construct chicken coop. Having a chicken coop on the orphanage property gives the orphans a steady protein source and the orphanage has a source of income from the sale of eggs at the local market. After time spent skyping with engineers on site in Tanzania and working through a multitude of scenarios in the classroom, the plans were ready to be taken to Africa. |
Laurel students in Tanzania begin building the chicken coop designed by the Principles of Engineering class
The 15-student contingent from laurel traveled to Tanzania in June, bringing the plans for the chicken coop with them from Laurel. A short few weeks later - the orphans had a source of protein and a small income stream! |
 Some of the little boys from the Olevolos orphanage want to help building the coop |
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As the day wears on, the chicken coop designed back in an Engineering class at Laurel takes shape at an orphanage in Tanzania |
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