Thanks for visiting Set for Change! My name is Erin, and I’m a third year chemical engineering student at the University of New Brunswick. As a Junior Fellow, I’m spending the 2010 summer in Ghana with Engineers Without Borders Canada.
For those of you unfamiliar with the work EWB does, allow me to fill you in:
EWB Canada is an organization that is accomplishing two great things. First, EWB is sending thoughtful and committed volunteers to rural Africa to work in partnership with local organizations. Through these interactions, volunteers are addressing the root causes of important issues like access to safe drinking water, increased market opportunities for small-scale farmers, and access to improved infrastructure.
Second, EWB is advocating for widespread change in Canada; from how our government spends its aid money, to how Canadians use their purchasing power on everyday items like coffee and tea. From my experience, engineering students are exposed to problem solving techniques, but are rarely given the opportunity to reflect, zoom out, and think about the role engineers play in serving global society. EWB has identified this disconnect, and is working to engage engineering students across the country in order to promote a profession that both thinks and acts as a global citizen.
I’ve had the pleasure of being a part of the UNB Chapter over the past year as the Director of School Outreach, and next year I’ll return to the chapter as co-President. At this point, I’ve come to know EWB from an in-Canada perspective, and I’m really looking forward to having the opportunity to experience the other side of EWB’s work.
I intend on using this blog as a means to share my experiences with friends, family, and EWBers throughout the summer. I hope that by reading my blog you’ll be inspired to think critically about the state of the world we live in, examine the choices you make as an individual, and explore the many positive ways you can contribute to society.
Thanks for reading,
Erin
