Engineers Without Borders

by Alex A. Kecskes

Sometimes referred to as the “Blueprint Brigade,” Engineers Without Borders (EWB-USA) has grown from less than a dozen members in 2002 to over 12,000 today. The organization supports community-driven development programs worldwide by designing and implementing sustainable engineering projects.

EWB-USA has over 350 projects in over 45 developing countries. Projects run the gamut from securing potable water and providing renewable energy to creating sanitary conditions in remote far-flung areas of the globe. These projects are completed in partnership with local communities and NGOs.

Today, EWB-USA boasts over 250 dedicated chapters. This includes chapters on 180 university campuses across the United States. EWB-USA leverages its university presence to inspire and educate tomorrow's young, socially conscious engineers to use their talents and abilities to help those less fortunate.

At EWB-USA, you'll find professionals and students from a variety of professions—everything from health to business—working together to improve a community. Each EWB-USA chapter commits its resources for at least five years to a partnering community. Working with the community, the chapter designs and implements low-cost, small-scale, replicable and sustainable engineering solutions to serve the community's specific needs. Once the need is addressed, the EWB-USA team will train local community members and local NGO's to properly monitor and maintain the project.

Involvement opportunities in EWB-USA vary widely and include everything from donations and sponsorships to starting a new chapter.

I recently had the pleasure to interview Peter Mensah who appeared in Avatar and many other films. Before he became a successful actor, he was an engineer and still does humanitarian work supporting a school he founded with his mother in Ghana. The school started with three kids and now has 600 students. Just goes to show what an engineer with a heart can do.

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Alex A. Kecskes has written hundreds of published articles on health/fitness, "green" issues, TV/film entertainment, restaurant reviews and many other topics. As a former Andy/Belding/One Show ad agency copywriter, he also writes web content, ads, brochures, sales letters, mailers and scripts for national B2B and B2C clients.