Chapter 19: Engineers Without Borders UW–Madison: Student-led International Infrastructure Development

Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to: (1) empower communities worldwide through the design and implementation of vital infrastructure, and (2) equip students with skills and experiences that empower them to be future leaders. The UW–Madison College of Engineering is home to four EWB-USA chapters, operating in various international settings. Of these, the UW–Madison EWB-USA chapter working. working in Guatemala (hereon after referred to as the “EWB UW Guatemala program”) is the longest standing. Since the EWB UW Guatemala program’s establishment in 2013, student teams have completed four projects including three clean drinking water systems and a suspension bridge. Ultimately, these student-community partnerships have provided water to over 1,500 people and connected seasonally isolated community members to their fields, schools, clinics, and markets. These projects demonstrate the EWB UW Guatemala program’s passion for advancing the Wisconsin Idea, with students applying their UW–Madison engineering training to real world international development projects. This chapter discusses the project development and operationalization of a drinking water project El Proyecto La Dignidad in the rural Guatemalan community of Zapote. The chapter also describes important lessons learned as a student-led organization that undertakes high-stakes engineering projects and how this work contributes to several UN SDGs—SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).