Co-Curricular Activities, Service Learning, and International Programs:  Teaching Beyond the Classroom

In addition to the innovative courses and design projects in the engineering curriculum, our students also have the opportunity to broaden and deepen their educational experience by participating in unique service learning opportunities, international programs, and co-curricular activities.  Examples range from participating in Habitat for Humanity builds and local river/creek cleanup projects to engineering club activities such as our signature "Fling the Duke Dog" contest, where teams of freshman engineering students enter into a friendly design competition to fling a stuffed Duke Dog mascot using a contraption that they must design and build.  International opportunities are also abundant, and range from participation in our new "Engineers Without Borders" student chapter, which will allow a student to address problems like clean water availability in Africa, to participation in summer applied science and engineering international programs in countries such as Malta, Costa Rica, and Germany.  There are also ample Alternative Spring Break and Semester Abroad opportunities through the university's Service Learning and International Programs offices.  There are plenty of opportunities for a student to enhance their engineering skills and knowledge by participation in a wide range of projects like these outside of the engineering classroom and laboratory that combine academics with real-world experience.