This unique initiative includes a co-curricular plan to connect civic engagement, the arts, mental health, and industrial design through fun, playable pianos located across campus. The project was inspired by British artist’s Play Me I’m Yours installation that encourages the public to engage with, activate, and take ownership of their urban environment. A small group of faculty and staff have taken this idea a few steps further with The Piano Project! The goal is to encourage student wellness and engagement in the arts by providing playable pianos for students to enjoy in select locations across campus, while also offering an Industrial Design learning experience in the process. The pianos will come to us from the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, allowing the Georgia Tech community to give new life to an old piano while connecting with a community service partner, the Habitat for Humanity. A select group of industrial design students will further explore how design can invigorate areas as they propose locations and graphic designs for more pianos on campus. Come learn more as we share our plan to merge civic engagement, the arts, mental health, and industrial design through pianos!

Presented by:
• Ann Gerondelis, Undergraduate Program Coordinator, School of Industrial Design
• Gerome Stephens, Ph.D., Director, Leadership & Civic Engagement, Division of Student Life
• Jennifer Kimball, Student & Artist Engagement Coordinator, Office of the Arts
• Lacy Currie, Ph.D., Coordinator of Suicide Prevention and Crisis Response, Counseling Center