Sandy Solutions: Cleansing the Waves Together!

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

Meet Beach Stakeholders

Launch 60m

Empathy Research Artifacts

Deliverable 90m

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)

Case Study Analysis for Problem Framing

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Stakeholder Mapping of Local Pollution

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Drafting a Community-Sourced Problem Statement

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Misinformation, Inequality, and Policy Debrief

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Synthesize Findings into Problem Statement

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Synthesize Pollution Research and Framing

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Design & Conduct Partner Interviews

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Inequality Lens: Pollution and Society

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Policy Context, Protections, and Gaps

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Draft Problem Statement with Stakeholders

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Define Pollution Problem

Deliverable 90m

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

Empathy Interview Planning for Pollution Impact

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Pollution Data Categorization and Storytelling

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Low-Cost Clean-Up Kit Concept Sketching

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Prototype Mockups for Area-Specific Kits

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Partner Feedback Workshop and Reflection

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Analyzing Pollution Patterns for Kit Design

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Empathy Interviews to Understand Pollution Impacts

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Prototype and Evaluate DIY Clean-Up Kit

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Brainstorm Clean-Up Concepts

Deliverable 90m

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

Prototype Ideation: Kit Component Design

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Partner Feedback Forum: Iterate with Experts

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Data Literacy: Classifying Pollution & Social Signals

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Empathy Interviews & Misinformation Reflection

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Refinement Sprint & Journal Update

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Prototype Kit Blueprint and Safety Plans

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Sourcing Affordable Materials for Clean-Up Kit

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Field Test Kit in Classroom Scenario

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Synthesis of Feedback with UCONN Partners

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Iterative Redesign and Reflective Journals

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Prototype Iteration Sprint

Deliverable 90m

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)

Beach Pollutant Data Analysis Workshop

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Wastewater Insight and Local Inequality

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Jars to Journal: Water Quality

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Activist Interviews for Empathy Building

Knowledge/Skill Building 50m

Prototype Clean-Up Kit Trials and Feedback

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Interpreting Water Analysis Jar Data

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Prototype Clean-Up Kit with Partners

Knowledge/Skill Building 50m

Empathy Interviews with Local Activists

Knowledge/Skill Building 40m

Policy Lens on Protection and Inequality

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Frame Problem Statements for Day 48

Knowledge/Skill Building 40m

Rehearse Community Partner Presentation Pitch

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Visualize Pollution Data for Storytelling

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Mock Panel Q&A with Stakeholders

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Update Reflective Journals and Portfolios

Knowledge/Skill Building 45m

Final Virtual Showcase and Feedback Cycle

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Frame Problem Statements

Deliverable 60m

Final Virtual Presentation to Community Partners

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Low-Fidelity Kit Prototypes

Deliverable 75m

Mock Virtual Presentation to Partners

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Interpret Pollution Data to Refine Kits

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Pollution Data Capture

Deliverable 60m

Refine Cleanup Kit with Community Feedback

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Second Prototype Iteration

Deliverable 75m

Final Rehearsal: Refine Presentation & Portfolio

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Exhibition Rehearsal

Deliverable 60m

Mock Virtual Presentation with Stakeholder Feedback

Knowledge/Skill Building 60m

Final Prep Synthesis

Deliverable 60m

Final Clean-Up Kit Exhibition

Assessment

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

October 2026

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

19 Day 1

Empathize

Meet Beach Stakeholders

20 Day 2

Case Study Analysis for Problem Framing

21 Day 3

Stakeholder Mapping of Local Pollution

22 Day 4

Empathy Research Artifacts

Drafting a Community-Sourced Problem Statement

23 Day 5

Misinformation, Inequality, and Policy Debrief

26 Day 6

Synthesize Findings into Problem Statement

27 Day 7

Synthesize Pollution Research and Framing

28 Day 8

Design & Conduct Partner Interviews

29 Day 9

Inequality Lens: Pollution and Society

30 Day 10

Define

Policy Context, Protections, and Gaps

November 2026

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

2 Day 11

Draft Problem Statement with Stakeholders

3 Day 12

Define Pollution Problem

4 Day 13

Empathy Interview Planning for Pollution Impact

5 Day 14

Pollution Data Categorization and Storytelling

6 Day 15

Low-Cost Clean-Up Kit Concept Sketching

9 Day 16

Prototype Mockups for Area-Specific Kits

10 Day 17

Partner Feedback Workshop and Reflection

11 Day 18

Analyzing Pollution Patterns for Kit Design

12 Day 19

Ideate

Empathy Interviews to Understand Pollution Impacts

13 Day 20

Prototype and Evaluate DIY Clean-Up Kit

16 Day 21

Brainstorm Clean-Up Concepts

17 Day 22

Prototype Ideation: Kit Component Design

18 Day 23

Partner Feedback Forum: Iterate with Experts

19 Day 24

Data Literacy: Classifying Pollution & Social Signals

20 Day 25

Empathy Interviews & Misinformation Reflection

23 Day 26

Refinement Sprint & Journal Update

24 Day 27

Prototype Kit Blueprint and Safety Plans

25 Day 28

Sourcing Affordable Materials for Clean-Up Kit

26 Day 29

Field Test Kit in Classroom Scenario

27 Day 30

Synthesis of Feedback with UCONN Partners

December 2026

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

30 Day 31

Prototype

Iterative Redesign and Reflective Journals

1 Day 32

Prototype Iteration Sprint

2 Day 33

Beach Pollutant Data Analysis Workshop

3 Day 34

Wastewater Insight and Local Inequality

4 Day 35

Jars to Journal: Water Quality