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Thursday, September 11, 2008

Columbia students making a change

When a new service for credit program was begun at Columbia, those in charge said they were surprised that students didn't join to get better jobs or improve their skills. 500 engineering students will volunteer in Harlem and earn academic credit at the same time.Many said they wanted to make a change.

It is that desire that the engineering department is trying to tap into — while also opening students’ eyes to the ways that engineering plays a critical role in daily life.

“It was one of the main reasons I came into the program,” said Jonathan Bell, a 20-year-old junior majoring in engineering.

During his sophomore year, Mr. Bell belonged to a team that worked on making Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem more accessible for the disabled.

A swing they developed to be used by people in wheelchairs was so successful that the school is looking into getting it patented and manufactured.
via nytimes.com

Columbia students are involved in other projects, like building sustainable greenhouses and tutoring and working with school kids on robotics projects.

Since the school partnered with Columbia... there have been tangible results: average SAT scores have risen roughly 200 points — taking the new scoring methods into account — since Columbia students began a tutoring program called “Let’s Get Ready” five years ago.

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