Abstract:

This paper presents a service-learning experience in engineering education that connects undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics learning, sustainability, and community engagement through bioprocess-based educational practice. The initiative involves university students in the design, construction, and implementation of large-scale systems for composting organic waste within outreach and research-related activities. These systems are subsequently used as real learning environments in which undergraduate students explain key biological and environmental processes to secondary school students, including decomposition dynamics, aeration, moisture balance, temperature variation, and nutrient transformation.

The experience was conceived as an active and experiential learning strategy that extends engineering training beyond the traditional classroom. University students do not only apply disciplinary knowledge in an authentic context, but also assume a formative role by translating technical concepts into accessible scientific explanations for younger learners. Through this process, they strengthen problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and leadership skills while reinforcing their understanding of sustainability-oriented engineering practice. In parallel, secondary school students are introduced to applied science learning through direct interaction with a real process that demonstrates the environmental value of circular approaches to organic waste management.

From an educational perspective, the project illustrates how engineering education can articulate teaching, outreach, and applied research in a socially meaningful way. It also highlights the potential of bioprocess-based initiatives to enrich the undergraduate experience, promote scientific curiosity in school settings, and support environmental awareness across educational levels. The paper argues that service-learning experiences grounded in real transformation processes can become effective pedagogical platforms for strengthening engineering competencies, fostering inter-institutional knowledge transfer, and advancing education for sustainability.

Keywords:

Engineering education, service-learning, sustainability education, experiential learning, bioprocesses.