Mercer University’s Engineering Honors Program and Tift College of Education will host their latest Go Baby Go build on Feb. 11 to modify battery-powered toy cars for children with limited mobility.
The build will take place 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on University Center Intramural Court No. 3 on the Macon campus.
Go Baby Go is a national, community-based research, design and outreach program that began in 2012 at the University of Delaware. Integrating assistive technology, families, clinicians and industry partners, the program helps provide children with disabilities the opportunity for movement, mobility and socialization.
The University previously held events in December 2016, March 2017, October 2017, February 2018, October 2018, March 2019, October 2019 and September 2022. Altogether, these events provided mobility solutions to more than 110 children.
For the upcoming build, Mercer’s freshman and senior engineering honors students will make and modify cars to fit the specific needs of children in 16 families.
The event is supported by Dr. Philip McCreanor in the School of Engineering and Dr. Sybil Keesbury Martin in the College of Education.
“Go Baby Go provides Mercer’s education students the ability to participate in the builds by helping with childcare, meeting the families, seeing children and families up close and personal and interacting with them,” said Dr. Martin, associate professor of education. “Students are building relationships with these children and families just for the few hours that they’re on campus, allowing students to put into practice all the things that they’re learning in their classes about children, family and child development.
“The Go Baby Go project allows us to truly impact children and families in the community and throughout the entire state of Georgia by providing access to vehicles that are modified for their specific needs.”
The build events have become a highlight of the Engineering Honors Program, said Dr. McCreanor, professor and chair of environmental and civil engineering and director of the Engineering Honors Program.
“These events foster connections among the lower- and upperclassmen in the Engineering Honors Program, education students and technical communication students, as well as faculty and staff in the School of Engineering, Department of Technical Communication, and College of Education,” he said. “From an academic perspective, these events introduce and reinforce basic electronics concepts through hands-on activities and promote the service-focused nature of not only the School of Engineering but also the larger Mercer University community.”
In addition to students in the School of Engineering and College of Education, Mercer student-athletes will volunteer at the event to provide support to fellow students and faculty as well as the children and families receiving services.
About Mercer University
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. With approximately 9,000 students enrolled in 12 schools and colleges, on major campuses in Macon and Atlanta; medical school sites in Macon, Savannah and Columbus; and at regional academic centers in Henry and Douglas counties, Mercer is ranked among the top tier of national research universities by U.S. News & World Report. The Mercer Health Sciences Center includes the University’s School of Medicine and Colleges of Nursing, Health Professions and Pharmacy. Mercer is affiliated with five teaching hospitals – Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Piedmont Macon Medical Center in Macon; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah; and Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and St. Francis-Emory Healthcare in Columbus. The University also has an educational partnership with Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins. It operates an academic press and a performing arts center in Macon, an engineering research center in Warner Robins, and Mercer Medicine clinics in Sumter, Peach, Clay and Putnam counties. Mercer is one of only 293 institutions nationwide to shelter a chapter of The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society; one of eight institutions to hold membership in the Georgia Research Alliance; and the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program. For more information, visit mercer.edu.
