Students will immerse themselves in understanding NYC's rat issue by connecting it to their community, examining waste management practices, and identifying why solving this problem is crucial for urban ecosystems and social equity.

Students will investigate and analyze waste management practices and rat activity patterns in their neighborhoods through research and field observations, building on their initial discoveries to deepen their understanding and prepare for designing innovative solutions in the next phase.

Students will apply their findings from the field study to collaboratively design and prototype an innovative waste management solution aimed at reducing rat populations in NYC, using computational thinking to analyze patterns and interpret data for effective decision-making.

Students will implement their rat-reduction solutions in the field, systematically collecting and analyzing data on effectiveness and environmental impact, building on their engineered designs to prepare for sharing their findings and recommendations.

Students will present their comprehensive reports and proposed solutions to NYC's rat problem to the Department of Sanitation, reflecting on their personal growth, the impact of their findings, and how their work contributes to urban ecological solutions and social equity.