Ignite is a program that integrates human-centered design (HCD), co-learning and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to promote collaborative mentorship and foster global awareness in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Ignite collaborates with the Museum of Life and Science in Durham, North Carolina, to introduce tinkering and design experiences to local middle and high school students.

In the middle school program, undergraduates and middle school students work together on predetermined modules, while the high school program challenges students to choose and address community problems with the guidance of mentors.

In 2023-2024, the team focused on the Ignite middle school spring program, where students worked on UN SDG-related design projects for eight weeks and presented their work on Duke Day.

The team’s research centered on evaluating Ignite’s impact on student science identity and community problem-solving. They developed a research framework for engineering education and collected data to evaluate the program’s outcomes and guide future implementations.

Learn more about this team’s work and research by reading their team profile.

Timing

Fall 2023 – Summer 2024

Team Outputs

Creating Community Alongside Engineering Identity (Team Profile; 2024 Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Virtual Showcase)

Impact of Human-Centered Design on STEM and Community-Identity (Poster presented at Fortin Foundation Bass Connections Showcase, April 17, 2024)

This Team in the News

Ignite Helps Students Illuminate—and Solve—Problems in Their Own Community

Museum Partnerships Serve as Roots for Growing Kids’ STEM Identity

See related teams, Improving Students’ STEM-Identity Through Design and Tinkering (2024-2025) and Ignite: Empowering Students through STEM Curricula Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (2019-2020).

Image: Ignite’s Learner Program