EWB~2 - Engineers Without Borders: Educationally, a World of Benefits Beverly K. Jaeger and Ethan Phillip M. LaRochelle, Northeastern University

摘要

Community partnerships comprise a core aspect of the Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) mission. Since its inception in 2000 as a single chapter at the University of Colorado at Boulder, EWB-USA has grown to incorporate well over 250 chapters working with communities in 43 developing countries. This is largely through the efforts of young engineering students and their mentors. The overarching mission of EWB is primarily to provide support for communities in the developing world, by applying a broad range of engineering principles to generate sustainable solutions in challenging settings. Examples of a few past projects are water sanitation systems, solar electrification, and compost sites converting waste into usable energy. The projects in which EWB chapters participate provide thousands of engineering students with the opportunity to develop their skills and experience the global impact they can make through their service. As noted, the effect that EWB programs have on partnering communities has been well-established and documented. In contrast, very little assessment has been undertaken to consider whether the experience of generating sustainable engineering solutions for developing communities has an equally significant effect on many of the participating engineering students as well.