RECAP: National Engineering Month 2024
Last month’s National Engineering Month 2024 was another success for our passionate community of changemakers, as our EWB Chapters were hard at work putting on programs and workshops to keep students and professionals engaged and aware.
Our EWB chapters, driven by a shared commitment to humanitarian engineering, are forging new paths that go beyond conventional educational frameworks, fostering a dynamic environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and impactful problem-solving.
We are happy to report some of EWB chapters work and accomplishments in recognition of last month.
The McMaster University Chapter held their successful Global Engineering Conference 2024, with over 70 students, which was an event full of innovation and design dedicated to advancing Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. The conference took place on March 17th, and it brought together 40 McMaster students, 15 Toronto Metropolitan University students, 15 University of Guelph students, and 5 graduate students from The School of Engineering Practice and Technology Society. Both a networking and design competition event, it allowed students to come together and leverage technological innovation to address challenges.
Throughout the day, guest speakers conducted short workshops on effective communication skills and sustainable engineering. Students also collaborated in groups, working with like-minded peers, which were guided by expert mentors and judges, to critically evaluate various sustainability solutions.
Then, the groups created new seismic-resilient structures that underwent a shake-test, which was guided by graduate student mentors from the School of Engineering Practice and Technology Society (SEPT) Society and hosted by McMaster’s Seismic Design Team.
Students also had the opportunity to engage with industry experts from sectors of civil engineering, who were passionate about creating safe and sustainable urban communities, by incorporating scientific knowledge and engineering principles. The event concluded with a Q&A component, where these industry experts and professionals answered burning questions from the participants and students. Participants were able to listen in on their perspectives and were motivated by their answers to also create change by mobilizing their skills.
A big congratulations to the McMaster EWB Chapter for a successful event in helping participants learn from experts and each other, develop valuable connections for future career opportunities, and explore ways to create inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable communities!
Stay connected with EWB’s MCMaster University Chapter through their Instagram @mcmasterewb or on Linkedin at McMaster Engineers Without Borders!
Last month, the Toronto Professional Chapter also held their annual Water for the World program, which strives to teach students about global water issues through an interactive exercise. This year, Water for the World partnered with the Toronto Public Library to reach even more students who are interested in learning more about water scarcity. Learn more about Water for the World and the event!
Engineers Without Borders Canada also hosted a Sustainability Design Competition at Carleton University in honour of National Engineering Month. The participants were challenged to consider the potential impacts of solar panels on the athletics buildings at Carleton to achieve net zero energy and were given a 3D printed model of the buildings in addition to solar panels that were used as a basic model for the solar panel layout.
Throughout the day, participants collaborated with others to refine their design, applying the engineering knowledge, policies, and technologies they knew to complete their models. Afterwards, participants also tested the models, before presenting them to a panel of judges including Professors and PhD students specializing in solar panel design.
In the West of Canada, the University of British Columbia (UBC) Chapter presented an Engineering Networking Event at UBC Vancouver on March 9th. This event provided valuable insights, professional expertise, and opportunities within the engineering community and students were able to connect with industry professionals and undergraduates and discover the endless possibilities!
We will have more exciting updates and event recaps for all of you soon— until then, stay connected on our socials to see what EWB is working on!
