Developing environmental awareness in engineers through Engineers Without Borders and sustainable design projects

Abstract

Today’s engineering students recognize the importance of environmental issues, but the traditional engineering curriculum is weak in opportunities for students to experience the link between the practice of engineering and the ideals of environmental sustainability. To meet this need, we attempt to offer multi‐disciplinary knowledge early in the university course. We suggest a means for educating engineering students to understand environmental problems by viewing them through the eyes of the affected inhabitants. The vehicle for this educational model is Engineers Without Borders. By exposing undergraduate engineering students to real world projects presented by Engineers Without Borders in the first year of their program, the importance of considering the social and environmental issues can be more firmly ingrained in the problem solving process.

Keywords:

• Environmental awareness
• Multi‐disciplinary learning
• Sustainable design