In 2011 the SQ Foundation partnered with Project U.S.E in a venture involving High School students. Over the course of a semester Project U.S.E works with the students in a Boat Building experiment. In conducting these experiments in Boat Building in the past, it was found that the students utilize classroom based studies in math, physics, literacy and history much more efficiently by incorporating them all in the building of a boat. This project has enhanced the student’s lives by increasing their ability to understand and synthesize the concepts learned in the classroom.
Over the course of 4 months, from September to December, the high school students build a boat in Newark, New Jersey, with the funding provided by the SQ Foundation. Through short interactive lectures, hands on experiments and exercises, and training in basic boat building skills, the boat they build is successfully launched at the end of the project.
Project USE has launched this program successfully for the last five years and has a proven track record of success. They have found that it consistently improves the students test scores, based on their pre and post evaluations assessment, thereby enhances the student’s ability to perform in their classes overall.
