Now's the time when students start looking for extra credit opportunities to bring up their grade, but few of them expect to build a village to get it.

We all know that student interest in math and science, especially in high school, has declined sharply in America. Test scores are down, and many kids wonder why they even need to study these sciences when Google can tell them anything they need to know.

Thankfully, there are programs like the Infinity Project which helps schools bring math and science to life for students through the study of engineering.

The Infinity Project has expanded their high school offerings to include "Engineering Math," a course that helps students learn the math behind environmental engineering as they build a living village and design an efficient transportation system for food delivery.

Students enrolled in this innovative program take on the roles of biomedical engineers and develop genetic modifications to ensure animal survival in various environments.  They acquire and process data as they design a system for monitoring heart rate and respiration during exercise.  Students work as mechanical and electrical engineers to develop a robot to accomplish tasks in a factory and design a high-tech digital music system.

Not only does The Infinity Project "Engineering Math" curriculum link math with engineering theory, it provides districts with a complete "turn-key" solution for implementing cost-effective, relevant, rigorous course work.

"The Infinity Project provides educators with everything they need to implement the program," say Dianna McAtee, Director of Academic Relations for The Infinity Project.  "Teachers attend week-long summer training where they receive instructor text and notes, exercises and activities with solutions, daily lesson plan guide and presentation slides – all the material necessary for classroom success."

To learn more about this exciting program, visit the website at www.infinity-project.org.

Image Credit: Flickr - Mills Baker