Real Outreach eXperiences In Engineering--ROXIE Home Page
FALL ROXIE 2008-- PROJECTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS
The following community partners participated in Fall ROXIE 2008:
Beans and Rice, Inc.-- Project: Beans and Rice, Inc. has 25 PC's that have been donated to them which need to be refurbished and distributed oto low to moderate income families in Pulaski and Radford. Working with their staff, the studnet teams are being asked to develop and implement a system for refurbishing the PC's, distributing applications, evaluaitng applications, selecting recipients, and distributing the refurbished systems. Two teams requested.
VT Recylcing--Design a tricycle for hauling recyclable materials. Four teams requested.
Department of Mechanical Engineering--In preparation for a special "smart" aspect of the International Peace Garden project, a team will work with a Ph.D. studnet and ICTAS scholar to design a gas permeable, water resistant chamber for subteerranean gas deployment. The project woudl require studnets to spec out a durable structure (e.g. plastic box) and a gas permeable, water resistance membrane (e.g. synthetic fabric). If possible the team will also specify a way for combining/packaging these materials in a way that allows for the free exchange of gases between the soil and sensors mounted inside the subterranean structure. One team requested.
Virginia Tech Adult Day Services--The Virginia Tech Adult day Services is located in 102 Wallace Hall (ground floor, entry in rear center of the building). The organization provides day services for older adults who need daytime care and a supervised environment so that they can remain in the community for as long as possible. Many of their participants have cognitive problems that interfere with their ability to make decisions or even take care of themseleves in basic ways. Some have physical problems or are frail enough that they need assistance with daily activities. Project: The teams are being asked to conduct a space study of the activities, storage, medical, and administrative areas of the facility. The organization can share its floor plans with the teams, floor plans from other ADS centers in SW Virginia, and copies of estimates for proposed renovations. Two teams requested.
Montgomery County Christmas Store-- Project:Improve the operation of the store for maximum efficiency. Four teams requested.
German Club-- Project: Design a unique award for the new Leading Lights Volunteer Recognition Banquet to be held in April of 2009. Four teams requested.
Town of Christiansburg-- Project: Design a memorial for Town employees who were killed while on duty for the Town.Four teams requested.
Appalachian Trail Conservancy-- Project: The Appalachian trail Conservancy is working to construct a pedestrian bridge across I-77 in Bland OCunty, VA. This bridge woudl be approximately 300' long and have a clearance of 20' over the highway. It woudl be fully covered. The process to move forward on this project entaisl securing engineering designs and obtaining a land-use permit. It is now state law that requests for new structures need to go before the Commonwealth Transportation Board. A traffic control plan must also be submitted. The organization is requesting design assistance to develop a Location Design which will verify the exact location of the bridge and develop a preliminary design for the bridge. Upon review, this design coudl then be used as part of the proposal to the Commonwealth Transportation Board and to engage an engineering firm in a construction contract. Four teams requested.
Virginia Tech Rescue Squad-- Projects: Front office renovation; new space creation; plan for knocking out interior walls; design a rope test post. Four teams requested.
Forest Service/Eastern Divide Ranger District-- Project: Design a puppet theater that can be folded and stored easily. Four teams requested.
Upward Bound/Talent Search-- Project: Design a better storage system for their facility which is constrained by the current space. Two teams requested.
Jacksonville Center for the Arts-- Project: Design the entryway for the art center to meet the needs of the users. Four teams requested
Downtown Blacksburg Merchant Association-- Project Design elements of the Halloween and December festivals to attract a wider audience and better meet the needs of target groups. Four teams requested.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation-- Project: Create a labyrinth; make it handicapped accessible without using paving materials; select the best site. Requesting four teams.
Historic Smithfield Plantation-- Project: Design a gazebo. Four teams requested.
Note to student teams--if you need transportation to visit your community partner on-site, you can reserve a van from the new Center for Student Engagement and Community Partners. Please contact Sharon Luzwell in advance to ensure the van's availability for your visit.
The following community partners participated in ROXIE for the Summer Session II. Read about each organization along with the project given to the student engineering teams.
1. VT YMCA--The YMCA at Virginia Tech has a wonderful, rich
history and many plans for future growth. During the past 132 years, the Y has served the New River Valley
with diverse programs to enhance the quality of
life in our area. The YMCA is an independent non-profit
organization. It serves the community through its four
main program areas: Community, Education,
International, and Student Programs. YMCA programs are partially funded by proceeds from its two thrift shops located in Blacksburg and Radford, VA. Design Problem: Design a cover for the back loading dock where goods are donated to the Blacksburg YMCA Thrift Shop on North Main Street. Currently the dock is exposed to the elements and not directly connected to the building. To find out more about this community partner: Go to the VT YMCA website.
2. Southwest Virginia Second Harvest Foodbank--Since 1981, the Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank has provided millions of pounds of food and related product to approximately 350 partner agencies that directly serve the families and individuals in need of emergency food assistance. Without the Food Bank’s distribution program there would be severe and detrimental effects on the types and qualities of services that our partner agencies provide the thousands of disadvantaged families and individuals living in our communities. The Food Bank does not directly distribute food to those families and individuals in need of food assistance but, instead, acts as a distribution center to locate, transport, store and distribute the food to our partner agencies that do. Design Problem: Design a recycling and composting system for the food warehouse in Salem, VA. To find out more about this community partner: Go to the Second Harvest website.
3. German Club "Leading Lights" Project--Since its beginning in 1892, the German Club of Virginia Tech has positively impacted the history, social life and leadership of the University. And since gaining its first alumnus in 1893, alumni have played an active role enhancing the rich relationship between the University, the Club and the community. The German Club Alumni Foundation at Virginia Tech is sponsoring a special new event in the spring of 2009 to honor key volunteers in the community including Virginia Tech and elevate the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community. Design Problem: Design an award that will be given to each award recipient that represents the planned theme of the event (Leading Lights--Neighbors Helping Neighbors) and the culture and importance of volunteering. Explore various materials, designs, shapes, sizes, and cost ranges to create a unique award design. This award design will be used for many years to come. To find out more about this community partner: Go to the Virginia Tech German Club Alumni Foundation website.
4. Town of Blacksburg--The Town of Blacksburg’s Neighborhood Services Division provides assistance to the residents of Blacksburg. Neighborhood Services seeks to educate citizens on quality of life issues and the preservation of neighborhood stability through increased communication, coordination, and citizen involvement. The Town of Blacksburg currently consists of 24 neighborhoods. Each neighborhood in Town boasts its own unique character and citizen makeup. Design Problem: The student committee for off campus housing issues--the Tenants Association--has difficulty sustaining itself year to year based on student participation and other issues. Evaluate the current program and develop a plan for the sustainability of the program to better serve students living off campus. To find out more about this community partner: Go to the Town of Blacksburg--Neighborhood Services website.
5. VT University Unions and Student Activities (UUSA)--Note--this community partner will be hosting two projects. Student teams can select either Design Problem A or B to work on.
University Unions & Student Activities, the center of Hokie Community, creates welcoming environments for students and others that, through involvement, foster excellence in learning, service, and community.
UUSA provides programs, services, and events that complement the mission of the University and Division of Student Affairs.
UUSA achieves this by:
*Fostering an appreciation for diversity
*Encouraging the advancement of life-long learning
*Enhancing personal growth and organizational development
*Developing productive citizens
*Promoting leadership development and
*Celebrating and supporting the Principles of Community.
Design Problem A: UUSA is short on storage space and the current storage area design does not meet the needs of this organization. Assess the current storage space and redesign more efficient storage options for the large amount and wide variety of materials UUSA needs to store in Squires Student Center. Design Problem B: A new coffee shop is being planned for Squires Student Center. Design assistance is needed for this new project. Students will review the conceptual design prepared by an interior designer and make recommendations/improvements in the design considering utilities, current structure, and so forth. To find out more about this community partner: Go to the UUSA website.
6. Blacksburg Baptist Church (BBC)--BBC is a large church located at 550 North Main Street. In addition to its regular weekly programs, it serves as host to Korean and Chinese ministries and several large community outreach programs such as MOPS--Mothers of Preschoolers and Moms Day Out. Design Problem: The church needs some type of partition system in its large Fellowship Hall so that the room can be divided for separate groups. Currently this large room can only serve one purpose at a time and the church is very short on space for additional programs. Teams can compare commercial partitions available and/or design a type of partition that can be custom built. To find out more about this community partner: Go to the BBC website.
Note for student teams: Transportation arrangements can be made through Service Learning for project locations outside of Blacksburg. To reserve a vehicle, send an email request well in advance to Sharon Luz.
HELP: If student teams have any additional questions, please feel free to email Karen Gilbert, Coordinator of VT-ENGAGE or call 540-641-4476 (cell) or 540-231-0691 (office).
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ROXIE REPORT FROM THE 2008 SPRING SEMESTER
The following is a list of the community service organizations who participated in the Spring 2008 ROXIE: Real Outreach eXperiences In Engineering. A total of 900 freshman engineering students, divided into 185 teams, served these community organizations. The students worked on solving all kinds of daily operational problems and designing new programs for these organizations. For more information, contact engage@vt.edu.
Group A
Blacksburg Rescue Squad--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=Computer Science project--they are in need of a tracking system to merge member locations on calls with the time clock--very interesting software project that could be useful to other rescue squads, too
Boy Scouts Blue Ridge Mountains Council--description Location = Blue Ridge Scout Reservation in Pulaski County--one of the largest scout camps in the U.S. more info about location and program, Project=At least 20 projects related to camp improvements--many great opportunities
Warm Hearth--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
Day Spring Christian Academy--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
Montgomery County Humane Society--description Location=Christiansburg, Project=open-ended
Town of Pulaski--description location=Pulaski, Project=work with a variety of departments, open-ended
Town of Blacksburg Neighborhood Services--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=improve aspects of Neighborhood Services in Blacksburg--wide variety of projects
Huckleberry Trail--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=trail improvement, design, survey of campus awareness about trail, parking planning and mapping, creative event planning, signage improvements and more
YMCA at VT--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=several projects in mind for improving daily operations and some open-ended
LANCE Center--description Location=Christiansburg,Pproject=open-ended
Reading Is Fundamental, Floyd County Public Schools--description Location=Floyd, Project=open-ended
Student Food Pantry--Purpose: Provide emergency food assistance for college students. Location=North Main Street in Blacksburg, Project=Create a food pantry managed and supported by students. Develop one or more pick-up locations and a storage area. Develop volunteer plan.
Blacksburg Chapter of AARP--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=develop one or more projects which members of AARP and other volunteers will complete in April on a special day of service
Camp Alta Mons--description Location=Shawsville, Project=open-ended
March of Dimes, Virginia Chapter--description Location=Roanoke, Project=open-ended
Crenshaw Lighting--description Location=Floyd, Project=open-ended
Claytor Lake State Park--description Location=Dublin, Project=open-ended, wide variety
St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church--St. Paul serves the Blacksburg community, Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff. It has an extensive outreach ministry that includes helping the needy and the homeless, paying college tuition and rent, providing shelter, and more. Location= 102 Penn Street in Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
Blacksburg United Methodist Church--description Location=Church Street in Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
Luther Memorial Lutheran Church--description Location=Prices Fork Road in Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
NRV Agency for Persons with Mental Retardation--Provides educational, recreational, and social activities, services, and advocacy for children and adults with mental retardation in the New River Valley. Location=Christiansburg, Project=open-ended
RSVP of Montgomery County and Radford
Group B
Good Samaritan Hospice--description Location=Roanoke multiple projects, Christiansburg one project, Project=wide variety related to the best use of their new facility in Roanoke and in Christiansburg--study of best use of limited office space
Town Gown--This a unique organization comprised of members representing the Town of Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. Town Gown works on improving relations between these two entities by improving communications and working together on joint projects. Location=Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
Giles County Christian Service--This organization runs a rescue mission providing shelter to the homeless. Location=Giles County, Project=They need help with a variety of projects for their new shelter--ramps for handicapped, financial organization/planning, landscaping design
VT Rescue Squad--description Location=on campus, Project=open-ended
Blacksburg Baptist Church--description Location=North Main Street in Blacksburg, Project=wide variety of projects--will post details later, opportunity to work with retired engineer, NOTE: Teams interested in this organization can meet to discuss the options either Monday 2/11 or Friday 2/15 at the church--right by PK's.
Montgomery County Christmas Store--description Location=Christiansburg, Project=improve operations of the store, collections system
Floyd County Humane Society--description Location=Floyd County, Project=design and write grant for new shelter
Town of Dublin--description Location=Dublin, Project=work with various departments, open-ended
New River Trail--description Location=Pulaski County, Project=open-ended
Habitat for Humanity Re-Store--description Location=Christiansburg, Project=improve daily operations of the store, design, layout
Town of Christiansburg--description Location=Christiansburg, Project=work with various departments, open-ended
Upward Bound at VT--description Location=on campus, Project=open-ended
Literacy Volunteers of NRV--description Location=Christiansburg, Project=improve large anual book fair and more
Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread--Provides a free nutritious hot meal at noon five days a week to economically disadvantaged persons. Location=Radford/Fairlawn, Project=open-ended
Radford Clothing Bank--description Location=Radford, Project=improve daily operations
Blacksburg New School--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
Jacksonville Center for the Arts--description Location=Floyd, Project=open-ended
Montgomery County Public Schools--description Location=multiple locations all around the county, including Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
Christiansburg Institute--description Location=Christiansburg and Blacksburg, Project=Develop the best methodology and then actually interview and record stories from the remaining alumni of the Christiansburg Institute--which was the original high school for black students in this area. This is a very important historical project. This needs to be done in such a manner that the interviews can then be archived in libraries and museums.
Valley Interfaith Childcare Center--description Location=Christiansburg, Project=variety
VT-ENGAGE--description Location=on-campus, Project=open-ended
Vote About America--Brand new project to encourage young people to vote in the upcoming presidential election, lead by Eric Latham and a board of VT alumns. Location=on campus, Project= design student events to encourage voter participation, design web sites and other electronic communications plus multimedia for effective communication with students, and conduct video interviews of students as to why they think it is important to vote/how to maximize the use of these videos, develop a model to be used at other universities to increase young voter particpation
New River Community Action--description Location=Radford, Project=open-ended
Mayor of Blacksburg special projects-- Location=Blacksburg, Project=Specific projects for improving Blacksburg
Group C
United Way--description Location=Christiansburg, Project= computer science related--install and set up a new server
Beans & Rice--description Location=Radford, Project=open-ended
Special Olympics of Virginia-- Location=Christiansburg, Project=help with Bowling events and wide variety of projects
CISO at VT--description Location=on campus, Project=help with planning and designing International Street Fair
Girl Scouts of VA Skyline Council--description Location=new scout camp in Roanoke area, Project=many projects related to huge new scout camp--design bridge access to primitive area across creek; design trail system; design road from parking lot to upper area; look at sustainable energy options; design sustainable water system to upper area; how to bring natural lighting into the main building; survey the property; issues with Amphitheater being built in a flood plain; issue of rain water run-off from building; analyze internet access to high speed cable/no T1 at property; for Lynchburg office (visit once) cost/benefit re: continue to rent/ change locations/ or build; for Camp Sacajawea in Lynchburg--visit once-redesign cubicle area for improved work space; for Headquarters in Roanoke-- develop a way to reach girls to join Girl Socuts in areas where schools do not allow flyers to be sent home NOTE: The Girl Scout director will be on campus all day next Friday, Feb. 15 to meet with the teams, so if you are interested in this organization--please save some time for meeting that day.
Wheatland Retirement Home--Providing residential care for senior adults. Location=Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
SHARE Warehouse--Providing food supplies for low income families Location=Pulaski, Project=improve operations
Town of Blacksburg--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=assist a variety of departments, open-ended
Blacksburg Transit--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=open-ended
Interfaith Food Pantry--Provides food to families in the area who are on government assistance programs. Location=North Main Street in Blacksburg, Project=develop better ways to collect food, increase food supply, coordinate volunteers
Historic Cemetary Project--A county-wide effort to identify, GPS map, catalogue and clean cemetaries. Location=Montgomery County, Project=develop best practices to do this project, assist
New River Community Action--descriptionLocation=Radford, Project=open-ended
Giles County Historical Society--description Location=Pearisburg in Giles County, Project=open-ended
Second Harvest Food Bank--description Location=Salem, Project=open-ended
New Mountain Climbers Giving Circle--First African American philanthropic organization in this area. Location=Christiansburg, Project= Need a website and marketing materials created
Healing Harvest Forest Foundation--description Location=Copper Hill/Floyd County, Project=something related to forestry, open-ended
St. Mary's Church--description Location=Blacksburg, Project=Possibly something related to the construction of their new church or the logistics of moving, open-ended
Vote About America--Brand new project to encourage young people to vote in the upcoming presidential election, lead by Eric latham and a board of VT alumns. Location=on campus, Project=design studnet events to encourage voter participation, design web sites and other electronic communications plus multimedia for effective communication with studnets, and conduct video interviews of students as to why they think it is important to vote/how to best maximize the use fo these videos
YMCA of Roanoke--description Location=Roanoke, Project=open-ended
YMCA of Salem--description Location=Salem, Project=open-ended