WPI grant aimed at aiding entrepreneurial engineers
A $488,500 grant to Worcester Polytechnic Institute will bolster the school’s acclaimed practical-minded approach to undergraduate education.
The grant from The Kern Family Foundation, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit that invests in engineering education, will support the development of new programs aimed at enhancing the teamwork- and project-intensive curriculum known as the WPI Plan, the school said on its website Wednesday.
“The WPI Plan does an exceptional job of educating world-class problem solvers,” WPI President Laurie Leshin said in the announcement. “We would like to help our students harness their resourcefulness and innovation and learn how to turn their ideas into tangible impact and bring valuable solutions to individuals, communities, and markets.”
The foundation’s Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network was established in part to develop entrepreneurially minded engineers who can “support human flourishing by recognizing and acting on opportunities to create economic, personal, and societal impact,” the WPI statement said. The network supports colleges and universities interested in developing innovative ways of achieving that to help the U.S. remain competitive in the global marketplace, WPI said.
The grant proposal was developed by a team of 12 faculty members and two WPI trustees charged with exploring how an increased focus on an entrepreneurial mindset within the school’s project-based educational approach could help students create value and have a positive impact on society, the statement said.
The school said the grant will enable it to, among other things, develop new programs, such as a course for first-year students focused on approaching problems with curiosity, insight and an intent to create value.
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