2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper discusses an engagement project that brought together students from the XXX and XXX programs at XXX University with the volunteers and staff of the Families in Transition Clothing Closet (FIT Closet). The project was developed in conjunction with the design and renovation of an existing building, which would be partially used as the new FIT Closet facility. The students were tasked with gathering information from project stakeholders and developing multiple design concepts for the future facility. These designs were presented to stakeholders for feedback during a design presentation and open discussion meeting. A finalized design proposal and project budget were then developed. Based on the budget, project priorities were established. The students identified the portions of the project that needed to be implemented initially to facilitate the function of the new facility and created a list of future projects. This list was used by the FIT Closet to pursue additional fundraising. The project allowed students to connect with stakeholders and understand the challenges of communicating design and construction information to individuals with no background knowledge in these areas. Due to the project timeline, only one stakeholder meeting could be arranged. For future projects of this type, additional stakeholder meetings would be valuable to facilitate project progress. The design and budgeting of the facility constituted phase one. The second phase of the project will involve engaging students in the physical construction of the new facility spaces. Similar projects are being pursued with local organizations evaluating their facility space needs.