TEST Program
TEST, or Teach Early Safety Testing, partners with university and high school engineering and STEM programs to incorporate design safety into the engineering curriculum. The program provides important background materials and educational opportunities on safety for tomorrow’s designers and engineers of children’s products.
University of Michigan Engineering students address hazards in changing tables.
TEST is designed to promote the development of safe products by integrating children’s product safety, standards, and testing practices into the curriculum. TEST gives student engineers and designers the tools they need to integrate safety into any product they design and to apply appropriate testing practices and standards to these designs. TEST enables manufacturers and testing laboratories to find qualified students already familiar with standards and testing. Examples of interactive student projects ideas show the range of the TEST program.
The TEST curriculum and materials are public through the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science (OEC). Please share this rich resource with the engineers, designers, and educators to help promote safer children’s products.
Children’s safety is KID’s highest priority. For more information related to product design safety, check out our safety highlights for future engineers to take a peek into the content provided to TEST students.
If you are interested in learning more or are interested in having your students participate in TEST, contact us.
TEST Progress
KID is currently leading four TEST teams at University of Michigan, Northwestern, and Boise State University. Students are working on drowning prevention, developing safer changing tables, and protecting children from hazardous inclined products. Since TEST’s inauguration in 2003, KID has worked with over 100 teams and over 400 students to create over 100 safe children’s product prototypes.