Engineering systems for a sustainable future
Engineering is often reduced to load calculations and process optimization – but the real power of engineering lies in shaping the systems that govern how people live and thrive. Yet engineering education in Canada still prioritizes technical skill over social, cultural, and systemic understanding, leaving graduates underprepared to tackle today’s defining challenges, from Indigenous reconciliation and climate resilience to equitable infrastructure and technological disruption.
The Systems Change Engineering Certification is EWB Canada’s flagship leadership program designed to change that. Launching with its inaugural 2026 Cohort, this program equips emerging engineers with the skills, perspectives, and lived experience needed to understand complexity, challenge the status quo, and lead meaningful systems change in Canada and beyond.
Cohort dates: May 2026 – January 2027
Applications open: February 2026
The 2026 cohort will be limited to 12-15 teams (60 participants total) from affiliated EWB Canada chapters.
Why Systems Change, Why Now
Engineering shapes how societies move, power themselves, govern resources, and build futures. But traditional engineering education often sidelines the social, cultural, and political realities that determine whether solutions succeed or fail. The result is a growing gap between technical capability and real-world impact.
EWB Canada believes the next generation of engineers must be fluent in systems thinking, equity, policy, and community engagement—alongside technical excellence. The Systems Change Engineering Certification responds to this need, preparing engineers not just to design solutions, but to reshape the systems that create today’s challenges in the first place.
Program Overview
The Systems Change Engineering Certification is a national, cohort-based program designed for EWB chapter members and undergraduate engineering students who want to lead change beyond the classroom. Participants join teams of 4–5 from their local EWB chapter, learning together while applying systems thinking to real-world challenges in their communities.
The program runs from May 2026 to January 2027 and requires an estimated 5–10 hours per week, making it compatible with full-time studies. Learning is delivered through a blend of online modules, facilitated workshops led by EWB-certified trainers, peer learning, and hands-on experiential projects.
From May to August, participants progress through eight core modules, followed by a collaborative capstone project from September to December, where they work with a local community to identify a social challenge and design a systems-level solution or social venture. Certification is awarded upon successful completion of all modules and the capstone.
The 2026 Cohort Experience
Participants move through the program together as a national cohort, building shared language, skills, and community. Teams work locally to identify a social or systems-level challenge, engage with stakeholders, and design an intervention that addresses root causes – not just symptoms.
The program culminates at xChange 2027, EWB Canada’s national conference, where teams will showcase their projects, exchange learning with peers from across the country, and celebrate graduation as the inaugural cohort of Systems Change Engineering Leaders.
What Participants Learn
Participants explore Global Engineering with Social Context, Sustainable Engineering and Climate Solutions, and Systems Thinking to understand how engineering decisions interact with social, environmental, and economic systems. They build practical skills through Human-Centred Design and Entrepreneurship, learning how to co-create solutions and translate ideas into action. The program also centres Decolonizing Engineering, Policy and Advocacy, and Decolonizing Self, challenging participants to reflect on power, identity, and responsibility while developing the confidence to influence systems-level change.
Outcomes & Impact
Graduates of the program earn recognition as EWB-certified Systems Change Engineering Leaders, equipped with practical experience, national networks, and a differentiated leadership credential. Participants leave with a deeper understanding of how to work across disciplines, sectors, and communities—skills increasingly demanded across industry, public service, and the social innovation ecosystem.
For EWB Canada and its partners, the program builds long-term capacity across chapters nationwide, strengthens the pipeline of values-driven engineering leaders, and creates a scalable model for transforming how engineers are prepared for the future.
Who This Program Is For
The Systems Change Engineering Certification is designed for EWB chapter members and undergraduate engineering students who are motivated by impact, equity, and leadership. No prior experience in systems thinking, policy, or community development is required—only curiosity, commitment, and a willingness to challenge conventional approaches to engineering.
Partners & Funders
The Systems Change Engineering Certification is made possible through the support of forward-looking partners who believe engineers must be equipped to lead in an increasingly complex world.
Primary Funder: RBC Foundation – Skills for a Thriving Future
Delivered by Engineers Without Borders Canada, with a national network of chapters, trainers, and partners committed to systems change.
