Social Justice Analysis of the LSU Community Playground Project

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

The LSU Community Playground Project (LSUCPP) is a service-learning/civic engagement (SLCE) in engineering program in which biological engineering students collaborate with community partners to co-design and build playgrounds specific to the community. The LSUCPP is one of the longest running SLCE in engineering programs and is unique because it has focused on the same issue throughout its 27-year history: lack of access to play opportunities for children. In this chapter, I analyze the LSUCPP through the Engineering for Social Justice (E4SJ) framework created by Leydens & Lucena (2018) in an effort to “bring forth” the social justice dimensions of this program. Each of the six E4SJ criteria is defined and discussed within the context of the LSUCPP. Readers of this chapter will learn about how principles of E4SJ are applied in a SLCE in engineering context and will have an example of how to use a social justice lens to start or improve their own SLCE design programs. Suggestions for implementing E4SJ in SLCE in engineering programs are also presented.

Publication Source (Journal or Book title)

Utilizing Service Learning Practices for Creative Design Improvements

First Page

165

Last Page

185

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS