Community-Based Innovation

Engineering in Service to Society

Duke Engineering is strengthening local and global connections through community-engaged research, transformative learning and impactful STEM outreach. Our mission is to serve society by turning innovation into action and making a lasting difference with the communities we serve.

a young Black girl in a white science jumpsuit posing in front of a board with lots of science terms

Community-Engaged Research & Design

The search for solutions shouldn’t happen in a vacuum. Our faculty and students design with the end user in mind, integrating community input to build trust and create more effective, holistic results.

Students seated at tables in a workroom participating in program activities

Ignite Makers Program

The Ignite Makers Program is a free program that runs from September through April each year for high school students. This program challenges students to use Human-Centered and Engineering Design processes to research problems related to the UN Global Goals of Clean Energy (Light Team), Clean Water (Water Team), or Good Health (Health Team).

group of women students posing outside of a pink trailer

Center for Global Women’s Health Technologies

From Durham to South America to Central Africa, GWHT collaborates with women of all ages, developing affordable health solutions for field implementation and inspiring interest in the sciences.

a women's dormatory in Coimbatore, Africa

Center for Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and Infectious Disease

Initially funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Duke University Center for WaSH-AID collaborates globally to co-design pilot demonstrations for treating blackwater, greywater, and stormwater, while also developing technologies to generate health data through wastewater.

Community-Based Learning

Students actively learn through direct, hands-on experiences. They see the issues they study firsthand, while meaningfully contributing to the analysis and solution of real-world challenges.

Participants seated on a bench speaking with community members seated on a car in a local village

DukeEngage: Ghana

Engaging, educating, and raising awareness among auto mechanics about the toxicity of heavy metals in used motor oil and implications on human health, the environment and food security.

The Durham Sign at American Tobacco Campus was created by Liberty Arts and Cricket Forge and erected in April of 2019 as a tribute to the strength and resilience of the Durham community. Photo by Discover Durham

EGR 190: Introduction to Community Engagement for Engineers

Designed to guide engineering students through skill development and experiential learning opportunities as they expand their engagement with organizations and individuals in the Durham community.

STEM Outreach

Duke Engineering supports a wide range of programs that work with local partners to inspire the next generation of problem-solvers.

Group photo of GEM student participants seated in two rows outside on the Bryan Center Plaza

GEM Workshops

GEM is a 10-day STEM camp for middle school students each summer. Each half-day participants explore a rich, complex, and accessible math problem and visit the lab or clinic of a STEM woman on campus.

Photo collage of program staff and participants engaging in various activities while in a classroom

DukeEngage: LIFT Lab

LIFT Lab is partnering with Durham schools to empower local youth through exciting STEAM activities.

two people look at a research poster

Outreach Design Education

Outreach Design Education is dedicated to engendering STEM identity in grades 6 – 12 students. We do this by giving design lessons in middle schools, having high school students participate in our summer design camp, and collaborating with middle and high school teachers to class materials.

Upcoming Events

Jun 16

Ignite: Makers Program Application Cycle

The Ignite Makers Program is a free program that runs from September through April each year for high school students. This program challenges students to use Human-Centered and Engineering Design […]

Jun 18

LIFT Lab @ Durham Public Schools Summer Camp

These sessions are hosted as part of Durham Public Schools’ Summer Camps. LIFT Lab activities take place on Monday-Wednesday. Dates are as follows: June 23-25 June 30-July 2 July 7-9 […]

Jun 23

ODE Summer Design Camp

The ODE Summer Design Camp is an immersive biomedical engineering design experience. Over the course of five weeks, participants will learn about the engineering design process and use it to […]

Community-Based Innovation Stories

student spinning chair on top of table
5/9 DukEngineer Magazine

Engineering Humanitarian Aid

Several groups of students and faculty in multiple programs tied to Duke Engineering are working to help those suffering from humanitarian crises.

Prof. Judy Ledlee partners with Radiant Rays to lead a prototyping workshop to design solar carports to be accessible solar installations for low-income communities.

Browse Programs

The examples highlighted above represent only a small fraction of the community-based innovation efforts happening across Duke’s campus and the world!

Contact Us

How can Duke help spark innovation in your community? Email Pratt-CBI@duke.edu or complete the form below to learn more.