Stimulating engineering design through the Junior Solar Sprint at Citizen Schools extended learning time apprenticeship

Abstract

Connecting middle school students with opportunities for “learning by doing” is a cornerstone of the Citizen Schools' apprenticeships that bring professionals to teach a weekly apprenticeships during extended learning time. In Citizen Schools apprenticeships, a volunteer STEM expert works with 12-15 students one afternoon a week for 11 weeks to explore a new field and to create a high-quality product or presentation to share at a community event. Citizen Schools recruits, trains, and supports volunteers to lead apprenticeships on topics that range from solar car engineering to stock market investing to electronic textiles. Over half of Citizen Schools' current apprenticeships focus on topics in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields with 21st-Century Skills for students working on directed projects. The Junior Solar Sprint challenges students to design and build a model car using solar power to drive an electric motor. Through this experience students learn and apply introductory principles of design and gain a first-hand experience in engineering and STEM fields.