This past summer, Stevens’ chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB) took part in an 18-day trip to Peru to implement a water infrastructure project aimed at improving the local community’s access to freshwater. For the students, the trip was more than just construction work; it was a chance to apply engineering knowledge, develop leadership skills, and engage with another culture in meaningful ways.
EWB, a student chapter of a national organization, partners with communities around the world to provide sustainable infrastructure solutions while fulfilling their goal of developing the next generation of leaders and engineers. “Our chapter works with communities in Peru, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean to bring them the infrastructure they need to thrive,” explained Will Franznick, environmental engineering senior and chapter president of EWB. “We adopt projects where we do everything from designing technical plans to fundraising and developing social media and marketing strategies. We need people with all sorts of different experiences to contribute,” he explained.
The chapter’s wide scope allows focus on professional development just as much as engineering. Resume workshops, LinkedIn headshots, and mock interviews are regular events, while collaborations with professional EWB chapters give students opportunities that are beyond their majors. “We host events that give people opportunities to grow in areas they normally wouldn’t, from fundraising to public relations,” said Mikayla Minton, a computer engineering senior and chapter vice president.
The Peru project itself had been in the works for nearly a year. Planning began in August 2024, when the chapter launched the first of EWB’s three-phase process: assessment, implementation, and monitoring. After working with the community to identify local needs, the students thought of five possible solutions, including aqueducts and retention lagoons, before ultimately settling on a spring remediation system designed to increase water flow during the dry season.
Students applied through a competitive process to join the travel team, with selection based on their commitment to the chapter, success, and fundraising. “We want to make sure we’re going there with a defined goal and that the work we plan to do is truly beneficial to the community,” Franznick said. Once on site, the team partnered with local contractors, community members, and leaders to execute their plan. The work was not without challenges, however, as rainy, cold weather slowed construction, and language barriers often made even simple communication difficult, since the community of Peru primarily speaks Quechua. “Very simple ideas took a long time to communicate due to the language barrier,” Franznick recalled. But the payoff was immediate. By the end of the trip, the system raised the spring’s flow by 140% during the dry season, directly improving both agriculture and alpaca herding. For the Stevens team, it was a powerful reminder of the impact their work could have. “We hope the community was able to retain technical understanding from our work,” Franznick said. “We care about them. We want to make them proud and fulfill the promises we’ve made.”
The trip also gave students a chance to step outside their daily routines and immerse themselves in a different way of life. “It’s really nice to step out of our comfort zones and into their culture and way of living,” Minton reflected. The bonds they formed with the community members added a personal dimension to the project that went beyond engineering. “When you are in this community, you gain an incredible connection with the people of Peru. You have a part in keeping their culture alive,” Franznick said.
Looking ahead, EWB plans to return to Peru next year to continue building on the project’s success and hopes to expand similar initiatives to other regions. The chapter also encourages Stevens students from all majors to get involved, whether through engineering design, fundraising, or communications. “We are always looking for students to contribute in any capacity they can,” Minton emphasized.
