| ABSTRACT |
Connecting classroom theory to real-world community impact is a profound challenge in engineering education. To bridge this gap, we introduce a novel Vertical Cross-Cohort Collaboration Model through a dynamic and highly engaging service-learning initiative. This project uniquely united final-year UniMAP Chemical Engineering students from the Biomass Utilisation course to serve as technical-lead facilitators, alongside first-year students from the Introduction to Sustainability course. Implemented at Sekolah Rendah Islam I in Kangar, Perlis, the initiative mobilised a structured cohort of 80 university facilitators to execute a targeted knowledge transfer, mentoring 260 primary school pupils in Years 5 and 6. Aligning perfectly with the carnival's theme of empowering values and inspiring innovation, the initiative transformed the school into a vibrant "Waste to Wealth" learning hub. The project thrived on a supportive peer mentorship dynamic: 4th-year undergraduate students designed the technical processes and trained 1st-year undergraduate students, who then guided young pupils through seven interactive, hands-on circular economy stations. Together, they joyfully co-created tangible physical bio-products, including rice husk microbial compost, biomass-derived green soaps, and orange peel eco-paper. Demonstrating remarkable stakeholder trust, the project secured a hybrid funding ecosystem, including an RM4,000 external grant from the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPs) alongside RM1,300 from internal university funds. Beyond the immediate community impact, the educational value was profound. We empirically validated this model by mapping learning outcomes to professional engineering accreditation standards, demonstrating measurable growth in students' ability to design real-world solutions and to engage effectively with society. Ultimately, this highly scalable framework offers a proven, transformative blueprint for the education of the future, proving that academic rigour and meaningful community transformation can go hand in hand.
|
