Overview of the first year of an innovative science education and Entrepreneurship venture

Abstract

This paper describes outcomes from the first year of a multi-year multi-faceted science education reform venture based in Tanzania called iSPACES. iSPACES refers to Innovation, Science, Practicals, Application, Conceptualize, Design and Prototype, Entrepreneurship and Systems. The objectives of the iSPACES venture are to 1.) develop systems, design, and entrepreneurial thinking amongst secondary school students and their teachers, 2.) create an affordable, sustainable and replicable innovation space 3.) develop an innovative experiential science curriculum 4.) integrate the indigenous knowledge of the host country into the science education curriculum and 5.) develop a sustainable method for building prototypes using universal connectors. These objectives were operationalized in a Humanitarian Engineering and Social Entrepreneurship (HESE) class that focuses on integrated engineering design, business strategy and implementation strategy development. Multidisciplinary student teams focused on several aspects of the project including emergent integration, innovation space design, curricular program development, indigenous knowledge integration, greenhouse design and business strategy development. The low-cost innovation space will enable students and entrepreneurs to design and create products that will add value to their daily lives and promote entrepreneurial endeavors. Universal connectors will be used in this innovation space for rapid prototyping of locally-relevant technology products. An innovative science curriculum in the form of a certificate program for secondary school science teachers was developed. This curriculum will integrate the innovation space into the formal education system and help sustain it. An affordable greenhouse was prototyped and field-tested as a compelling example of a game-changing technology that can emerge from the innovation space. This paper discusses the genesis, mechanics and logistics of the iSPACES venture and various outcomes from the first year of student engagement. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.