SoE CARES
School of Engineering Community Applied Research and Engineering Scholars Program
SoE Community Engagement Microbadging Program
Use your engineering skills to make measurable community impact through structured, standards-based design, analysis, and implementation.
About the Program
The SoE CARES Program formalizes community-engaged engineering within the Rutgers School of Engineering through structured project pathways, defined technical requirements, and verified recognition via digital micro-badging.
The program connects students, faculty, and external partners to address community-defined needs using engineering design, analysis, modeling, prototyping, and standards-based practices. Projects are structured to ensure technical rigor, professional documentation, and sustainable community impact.
Program Scope
The SoE CARES Program supports Community-Engaged Engineering (CEE) Projects only.
CEE projects are defined as projects that:
- Address a community-defined need
- Apply engineering design, analysis, modeling, simulation, prototyping, or testing
- Incorporate relevant engineering, safety, accessibility, environmental, or educational standards
- Produce professionally documented deliverables suitable for partner use and long-term sustainability
All projects must include:
- A verified community partner (nonprofit, school, civic, or government organization)
- A defined reciprocity model, where the partner helps define the problem and benefits directly from the outcome
- Faculty or advisor oversight
- Structured engagement and documentation throughout the project lifecycle
Get Involved
Students
- Join an existing project or propose a new one
- Participate in the SoE CARES microbadging pathway
Faculty
- Integrate community-engaged engineering into coursework
- Serve as project advisors and reviewers
Community and Industry Partners
- Submit a community-defined engineering problem
- Collaborate with SoE student teams
