Outreach

Lives Improve Through Engineering (LITE)
LITE is a two-week residential program created by Kettering University to introduce 11th grade girls to engineering specialties.  In the past, participants have learned how to design products that have a profound impact on people’s lives:  air bags, crash test dummies, artificial limbs and organs, and car seats.
In the summer of 2007, Prof. Laura Sullivan and Prof. Ben Redekop introduced the LITE participants to "engineering for a sustainable society".  Professor Redekop modified his previous development of Module 1 from IME540 for use in the LITE summer program.  He utilized the environmental design of a t-shirt as an object lesson in the class.  To close the program, he gave the LITE participants an environmentally-friendly light (lite) bulb to help them to remember and apply their experience.  
University advancement has reported that these environmental outreach efforts helped lead to an individual’s grant contribution of $50,000.  The donation was inspired in part because of the new sustainability focus of LITE.
Prof. Terri Lynch-Caris collaborated with Prof. Laura Sullivan during the summer of 2008 to contribute to the LITE participants understanding of “Engineering for a Sustainable Society” and the participants were asked to redesign a common product based on principles of environmental consciousness.  In addition, the students participated in a community-building exercise.

Impact: Over 70 girls participated in this module during the grant time period. Approximately 35 high school girls attend LITE every year and the module will continue to be offered during the annual summer program.

Focus the Nation
This was a one-day event held January 31, 2008 (kickoff with Jan 30th evening webcast) in conjunction with other universities across the country.  Speakers and outreach activities were held throughout the day and approximately 100 K-12 students participated in the afternoon events.  Students rotated between four learning stations in the International Room with faculty members presenting age-appropriate topics related to: 

  1. Fuel cells
  2. Chemistry-Recyclablility
  3. "Which is more environmentally friendly?
  4. You can make a difference

Impact: Approximately 100 elementary-school age young people came to campus for the event

Link to: http://www.kettering.edu/futurestudents/precollege/lite/ Bulldog