Engineers Without Borders Conference
March 2025
Engineers Without Borders is a global non-profit organization that originated within the United States. Engineers Without Borders’ mission encompasses collaboration with local organizations in an effort to design and install sustainable projects. Through collaboration, we aim to ensure equal access to basic needs like clean water access, renewable energy, sanitation, and health technology, as well as further developing infrastructure. EWB works towards equity for all through the use of engineering solutions to enhance the living conditions of those in impoverished communities across the globe. Engineers Without Borders emphasizes the power of conversations, co-creation, and an interdisciplinary approach to projects.
EWB operates on the belief that engineering can be a social force, empowering individuals to collaborate and providing volunteers with first-hand humanitarian experience. Through a culture of innovation and service, EWB improves lives and inspires the next generation of engineers to put social responsibility first in their professional lives. The organization uses partnerships to promote equity in underserved communities, enabling the creation of real, tangible change.
Engineers Without Borders is an international organization, with chapters throughout the contiguous United States and numerous developing countries. Within the United States, chapters can be based upon cities, such as the Boston Professional Chapter, or universities, such as the Boston College chapter. These chapters are typically run independently, although cross-chapter collaboration is both common and encouraged. There are both state and regional representatives, who work under the national EWB-USA organization. Their goal is to foster this kind of regional collaboration and relationship-building, through outreach and events such as the Northeast EWB conference. Internationally, there are many in-country chapters, who support and oversee the work being done within their host country. The number and presence of these chapters ebb and flow. For example, the EWB Thailand chapter was dissolved when Thailand was classified as a ‘middle-income’ country, in an effort to focus resources on more developing nations. Overall, EWB is a decentralized, volunteer-based organization, but the collaboration between these chapters allows meaningful projects to be implemented.
Incoming EWB Co-Presidents, Bennett Lewis and Ava West, had an incredible opportunity to attend the 2025 National Engineers Without Borders Conference, which was held in Charlotte, NC. This conference was an inspiring pinnacle of global, collaborative engineering efforts to advance social development on a global scale. Throughout the conference, attendees took part in workshops and seminars, including technical design of sustainable water supply systems, GIS Site Mapping, and solar electrical systems. The enthusiasm and passion shown by the attendees, engineers, students, and professionals alike, was commendable - all of whom committed to creating tangible and sustainable change. The conference highlighted meaningful advancement being dependent on collaboration, and further cemented the importance of human connection.
EWB CEO Boris Martin described people as embers gathering to form an effective flame of change. Individually each an ember, but together a roaring flame. This imagery struck a chord, particularly among Boston College students, who are urged to "set the world aflame.” Engineers Without Borders is an exemplary manifestation of this call, demonstrating that the reach of engineering extends beyond blueprints and equations; it lives through the partnerships we build and the people we serve. This experience has inspired us to further develop the EWB-BC chapter, and provide a platform for students to utilize their skills and passions to create effective solutions. Through collaboration, mentorship, and collective vision, we can establish a chapter that is more than the sum of individual contributions, a movement propelled by the faith that engineering has the power to meaningfully transform lives.
EWB-BC was started in recent years through extensive efforts of the inaugural chapter president, Hayoung Cho and others. We are undergoing major change as we move into cementing an official chapter, and Cho passes the torch to incoming co-presidents Lewis and West. Having recently completed the design aspect of a Well Boring and Pump implementation project in Tanzania, the focus has shifted from design to fundraising and recruiting. The hope is to develop EWB into a social community for those interested in volunteering their time to contribute to the development of international infrastructure, and to act as a social group for people passionate about the work we are doing. As fundraising efforts for construction supplies and travel to Tanzania ramp up going into Summer and Fall of 2025, we also hope to begin implementing a local project to encourage hands-on engineering design and collaboration.
The initial idea of what this project will be is to refurbish or develop a new greenhouse in collaboration with the on-campus gardening scene already present at Boston College. Through engineering solutions such as drip irrigation, water filtration, solar energy installation, and other construction techniques, EWB-BC hopes to give students actionable project management work to develop their professional skills. Overall, the vision for EWB is to have a large chapter with numerous local and international projects, that supports students both socially and professionally, providing a network while developing their modeling, design, fundraising, and community outreach skills.
Getting involved with Engineers Without Borders at Boston College is simple, as we require no engineering experience (or interest!), and encourage all students interested in this volunteer work and EWB’s mission to join. Engineering Without Borders offers the unique opportunity for hands-on experience and leadership. Students can begin by attending the EWB Symposium on April 7th at 5 pm in the Schiller Institute Convening Space (Rm 501 in 245 Beacon), which will provide further conference reflection and involvement information. For a stronger dive into the EWB experience, all students are invited to attend the EWB Boston School conference hosted at Tufts on April 6th. This provides an excellent opportunity to network with other students and professionals in the Boston area, as well as learn more about the mission of EWB and the work that other local chapters have been involved in.
If you're interested in working towards creating tangible change in local and international communities, complete our new member application/interest form: tinyurl.com/EWB-BCC to join. This will add you to our participant roster and email listserv, so you can stay up to date on all things EWB-BCC and how to get involved. If you are interested in attending the local conference, note that with the application. This form will also be publicized at the local conference on April 6th, and the EWB symposium on April 7th.
Together we can be the change we want to see in the world!