New partnership brings humanitarian engineering education to community college students in USA
Engineers Without Borders USA (EWB-USA) and STEM education nonprofit Engineering Tomorrow have announced a new partnership to create an outreach program for community college students.
The initiative is designed to introduce students across the United States to engineering and related humanitarian STEM careers through workshops that address global development issues.
This collaborative effort will expand educational opportunities for community college students, offering them access to workshops led by EWB-USA volunteers. The sessions will focus on the importance of humanitarian engineering and how it can address pressing global challenges.
The partnership wants to reach students who may not have previously considered engineering as a career while also addressing the national need for a more diverse, community-driven engineering workforce.
Megan Barrett, Executive Director of Engineering Tomorrow, highlighted the shared mission of the two organizations:
“Engineers Without Borders USA shares our deep commitment to using engineering to drive social change, and we look forward to working closely with their team to inspire community college students to pursue a diverse range of engineering fields and STEM paths.
“We are excited to expand our platform’s reach to include community college students who may not otherwise be exposed to the incredible impact engineers have on solving the world’s toughest challenges.”
As part of this collaborative effort, EWB-USA and Engineering Tomorrow will hold a special lab day on January 15, 2025, focused on “Clean Water: Filtration Systems & Water Conservation.” The event will involve thousands of high school students nationwide in a hands-on learning experience that covers the water treatment process and guides students in designing their own filtration systems.
EWB-USA’s Senior Program Engineer Natalie Celmo, Chief Programs Officer Melissa Montgomery, and Program Engineer Brooke Poppe will give keynote presentations. High school teachers can sign up for this lab day event on Engineering Tomorrow’s website.
Boris Martin, CEO of EWB-USA, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative, emphasizing the need to inspire more students toward humanitarian-focused careers:
“We are thrilled to work with Engineering Tomorrow to deliver engaging learning experiences to students that will highlight the transformational power of engineering, when paired with close community partnerships, in building a better world.
“The need for a diverse, passionate, and community-driven engineering workforce has never been greater, and we are proud to directly impact the number of students interested in pursuing humanitarian STEM paths through this partnership.”
