Partnership to Benefit Local Veteran Launched between Quality of Life Plus (QL+) & Chantilly Academy (FCPS)
Young Women Engineers Take on Challenge to Develop Radar to Aid Local Vision Impaired Veterans
MCLEAN, Va., Oct. 27, 2010—Quality of Life Plus (QL+) and Chantilly Academy (Fairfax County Public Schools) launched a partnership to help local veterans with vision impairment. The challenge is part of a pilot program that combines the resources of the QL+ Program and Chantilly Academy, along with the service-learning curriculum of the EPICS~HIGH program, a national high school program affiliated with Purdue University’s “Engineering Projects in Community Service” (EPICS). The new joint venture will offer a hands-on student learning opportunity that will benefit those who served on the front lines.
During the academic year, young women student engineers will create a radar-type feedback system that will improve the quality of life of Northern Virginia veterans and the wider visually impaired community. The challenge will encourage students to serve members of their community, while also building their social, civic, and academic skills.
The project applies the QL+ Program approach to high school learning. First, QL+ identifies a challenge; a physical limitation caused by a service-related injury or disability, for which an assistive device does not currently exist. Second, a multidisciplinary team of engineering students works to develop a new technological solution that remedies the limitation and enhances the quality of life of the veteran(s).
The official announcement ceremony included several speakers, who outlined the details of the partnership: Jon Monett, Chairman and Founder of QL+; Scott Monett, President and Executive Director of QL+; Kathy L. Smith, Chair of Fairfax County School Board; Douglas Wright, Administration of Chantilly Academy; students of Chantilly Academy’s Girls Exploring Engineering (GE²) Class; Pamela Dexter, EPICS~High Representative, Purdue University; and, Marie Brinas, Member of NOVA Council of the Blind. Following the partnership announcement, students and faculty discussed plans for designing and building the assistive solution.
“This partnership is a valuable service-learning opportunity that will deepen classroom instruction, improve academic achievement, strengthen social skills, and engage students in civic responsibility,” said Douglas Wright, Administrator, Chantilly High School Academy. “The EPICS~High program encourages innovative engineering problem solving with direct community and societal benefit. We are honored to be partnering with QL+ and EPICS~High on service learning in engineering. At Chantilly High School Academy, we are truly learning by doing.”
“The QL+ and Chantilly Academy partnership represents the compelling intersection of support for our wounded veterans, the advancement of research and educational excellence, and the application of engineering solutions to real-life problems,” said Scott Monett, President and Executive Director of the QL+ Program. “It’s a great honor to enhance vision for these veterans, our local heroes, because they have sacrificed so much to safeguard our nation and our freedom.”
About Quality of Life Plus (QL+)
The QL+ Program is a charitable 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, established in 2009 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia. QL+’s mission is to foster and generate innovations to aid and improve the quality of life of those injured in the line of duty. For more information about QL+, please visit www.qlplus.org or email info@qlplus.org.
About Chantilly High School Academy
Chantilly High School Academy is a dynamic learning environment, offering specialized career-oriented electives, in two concentration areas: Engineering & Scientific Technology and Health & Human Services. Students gain professional experience, verified credit, professional licensure, and earn college credits. Highly qualified instructors, a support team of counselors, a career experience specialist, and administrators work together to support nearly 1,200 students from 20 Fairfax County Public Schools enrolled at the Academy. Eighty-three percent of all Chantilly Academy student graduates pursue post-secondary and higher education.