Empathize
Empathize
Students will collaboratively conduct field research at the beach cleanup to observe pollution types and engage with community partners in empathy interviews, documenting diverse impacts and perspectives on environmental and social inequality in detailed reflective journals.
Days 1 - 9
Define
Define
Students will synthesize research on pollution and its societal impacts into a precise problem statement by collaborating with community partners, analyzing case studies, and defining specific environmental and social inequalities to address in their redesign of clean-up efforts.
Days 10 - 18
24 min over capacity (666 min available across 9 days)
Ideate
Ideate
Students will collaborate in teams to brainstorm and develop multiple creative solutions for environmental clean-up kits, applying social inequality insights and leveraging feedback from community partners to ensure their ideas are inclusive and effective.
Days 19 - 30
Prototype
Prototype
Students will develop and test prototypes of pollution clean-up kits, iterating on designs through feedback from UCONN scientists and community partners, while documenting their process and reflections in digital portfolios and bi-weekly journals.
Days 31 - 45
Test/Present
Test/Present
Students will present their refined clean-up kits to community partners and stakeholders, incorporating feedback through live virtual presentations, and showcase their digital portfolios, highlighting their solutions to combat pollution and its effects on diverse communities, followed by engaging Q&A sessions with experts.
Days 46 - 60
405 min over capacity (1110 min available across 15 days)
Empathize
Days 1–9
Day 1
Meet Beach Stakeholders
Launch
60m
Day 2
Case Study Analysis for Problem Framing
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 3
Stakeholder Mapping of Local Pollution
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 4
Empathy Research Artifacts
Deliverable
90m
Drafting a Community-Sourced Problem Statement
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 5
Misinformation, Inequality, and Policy Debrief
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 6
Synthesize Findings into Problem Statement
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 7
Synthesize Pollution Research and Framing
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 8
Design & Conduct Partner Interviews
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 9
Inequality Lens: Pollution and Society
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Define
Days 10–18
Day 10
Policy Context, Protections, and Gaps
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 11
Draft Problem Statement with Stakeholders
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 12
Define Pollution Problem
Deliverable
90m
Day 13
Empathy Interview Planning for Pollution Impact
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 14
Pollution Data Categorization and Storytelling
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 15
Low-Cost Clean-Up Kit Concept Sketching
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 16
Prototype Mockups for Area-Specific Kits
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 17
Partner Feedback Workshop and Reflection
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 18
Analyzing Pollution Patterns for Kit Design
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Ideate
Days 19–30
Day 19
Empathy Interviews to Understand Pollution Impacts
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 20
Prototype and Evaluate DIY Clean-Up Kit
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 21
Brainstorm Clean-Up Concepts
Deliverable
90m
Day 22
Prototype Ideation: Kit Component Design
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 23
Partner Feedback Forum: Iterate with Experts
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 24
Data Literacy: Classifying Pollution & Social Signals
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 25
Empathy Interviews & Misinformation Reflection
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 26
Refinement Sprint & Journal Update
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 27
Prototype Kit Blueprint and Safety Plans
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 28
Sourcing Affordable Materials for Clean-Up Kit
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Day 29
Field Test Kit in Classroom Scenario
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 30
Synthesis of Feedback with UCONN Partners
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
Prototype
Days 31–45
Day 31
Iterative Redesign and Reflective Journals
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 32
Prototype Iteration Sprint
Deliverable
90m
Day 33
Beach Pollutant Data Analysis Workshop
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 34
Wastewater Insight and Local Inequality
Knowledge/Skill Building
60m
Day 35
Jars to Journal: Water Quality
Knowledge/Skill Building
45m
September 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
28
Day 1
Empathize
Meet Beach Stakeholders
29
Day 2
Case Study Analysis for Problem Framing
30
Day 3
Stakeholder Mapping of Local Pollution
1
Day 4
Empathy Research Artifacts
Drafting a Community-Sourced Problem Statement
2
Day 5
Misinformation, Inequality, and Policy Debrief
October 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
5
Day 6
Synthesize Findings into Problem Statement
6
Day 7
Synthesize Pollution Research and Framing
7
Day 8
Design & Conduct Partner Interviews
8
Day 9
Inequality Lens: Pollution and Society
9
Day 10
Define
Policy Context, Protections, and Gaps
12
Day 11
Draft Problem Statement with Stakeholders
13
Day 12
Define Pollution Problem
14
Day 13
Empathy Interview Planning for Pollution Impact
15
Day 14
Pollution Data Categorization and Storytelling
16
Day 15
Low-Cost Clean-Up Kit Concept Sketching
19
Day 16
Prototype Mockups for Area-Specific Kits
20
Day 17
Partner Feedback Workshop and Reflection
21
Day 18
Analyzing Pollution Patterns for Kit Design
22
Day 19
Ideate
Empathy Interviews to Understand Pollution Impacts
23
Day 20
Prototype and Evaluate DIY Clean-Up Kit
26
Day 21
Brainstorm Clean-Up Concepts
27
Day 22
Prototype Ideation: Kit Component Design
28
Day 23
Partner Feedback Forum: Iterate with Experts
29
Day 24
Data Literacy: Classifying Pollution & Social Signals
30
Day 25
Empathy Interviews & Misinformation Reflection
November 2026
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
2
Day 26
Refinement Sprint & Journal Update
3
Day 27
Prototype Kit Blueprint and Safety Plans
4
Day 28
Sourcing Affordable Materials for Clean-Up Kit
5
Day 29
Field Test Kit in Classroom Scenario
6
Day 30
Synthesis of Feedback with UCONN Partners
9
Day 31
Prototype
Iterative Redesign and Reflective Journals
10
Day 32
Prototype Iteration Sprint
11
Day 33
Beach Pollutant Data Analysis Workshop
12
Day 34
Wastewater Insight and Local Inequality
13
Day 35
Jars to Journal: Water Quality