Solar Power Computer Lab

Academic Enrichment Grant   2010-2011 Project Summary

Douglas Edwards

Solar Power Computer Lab • Riverdale, Georgia

This learning experience will enable students to answer the question, “How will I ever use this…?” for themselves through inquiry, exploration, design, and implementation. They will answer that question by solving a problem faced by students at the United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC) in rural Arusha, Tanzania. UAACC is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that offers classes in English, art, music, computer skills, carpentry and construction. Loss of power frequently interrupts their classes in computer skills. In order to solve that problem, students will initially communicate over the Internet with UAACC students to understand the complexities of the problem and then propose an engineering solution that has been evaluated by the local Georgia Institute of Technology chapter of Engineers Without Borders and UAACC. Students will subsequently develop the structure for their design and its implementation, as well as assist in fundraising for the solar-powered computer lab and its shipping costs. Students will also work with the Career Technology program in the construction and prototyping of the solar- powered system and study Tanzanian culture as part of the Social Studies program.