Student Engineers Reaching Out: Case studies in service learning and a survey of technical need

We introduce Student Engineers Reaching Out (SERO), an EPICS team at the University of Notre Dame committed to Service Learning founded in engineering curricula. Two SERO case studies highlight the framework, implementation, challenges, and shared benefits of our unique Service Learning course developed specifically for engineers. The first study demonstrates the progressive refinement of a single project and the second study involves completion of numerous varied projects for a single client. For both studies we examine the application of Kolb´s Learning Cycle, the Action Research cycle, and correlations with Community Based Research (CBR). Based on the success of the case studies, a comprehensive survey of the local non-profit community was undertaken. The overwhelming magnitude and variety of technical community needs are presented as new opportunities for additional Service Learning projects in engineering curricula.