2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

WIP: Co-Designing Humanitarian Service-Learning Activities: Lessons from Semi-Rural Amazon Communities

Presented at International Division (INTL) Poster Session

This study explores the co-design of engineering service trips to semi-rural Andean communities in Ecuador by students from Engineers Without Borders (EWB) at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ. The project, conducted in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, focused on installing water chlorinators in communities with limited access to clean drinking water. The primary goal was to improve community access to safe water by implementing water chlorination systems in schools and providing technical training for maintenance, alongside sanitation and hygiene education for the local population. The methodology followed the co-design framework proposed by Mazzurco and Jesiek, which emphasizes collaboration with the community and integration of local resources, ethics, and social justice. Students engaged with community members to assess their needs and preferences, ensuring the project was culturally sensitive and aligned with local priorities. The project aimed to develop leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills among the students while fostering meaningful collaboration with the community. Surveys and open interviews were conducted to measure community participation and evaluate the project’s impact. Key findings indicated that community engagement, trust-building, and ethical considerations were critical to the project's success. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of preparing future engineers to navigate complex cultural, social, and technical challenges in humanitarian engineering projects.
The results of this study contribute to the development of best practices for future engineering service trips, emphasizing the importance of co-design, community involvement, and interdisciplinary teamwork in achieving sustainable outcomes. The paper discusses implications for both research and practice, outlining potential next steps for future interventions.

Authors

Dr. MiguelAndres Andres Guerra P.E. http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7496-3753 Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ [biography]

MiguelAndres is an Associate Professor in the Polytechnic College of Science and Engineering and the Director of the Masters in Management of Construction and Real Estate Companies MDI at Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ. He holds a BS in Civil Engineering from USFQ, a M.Sc. in Civil Engineering in Construction Engineering and Project Management from Iowa State University, a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with emphasis in Sustainable Construction from Virginia Tech, and two Graduate Certificates from Virginia Tech in Engineering Education and Future Professoriate and from USFQ in Structures for Construction Professionals. MiguelAndres’s research includes Architectural and Civil Engineering Project Management, Sustainable and Resilient Urban Infrastructure, and the development of engineers who not only have strong technical and practical knowledge but the social awareness and agency to address global humanitarian, environmental, and social justice challenges. For him, social justice is a concept that should always be involved in discussions on infrastructure. Related to STEM education, Miguel Andres develops disruptive pedagogies for STEM courses as a tool for innovation, and assessing engineering students’ agency to address climate change. Currently, MiguelAndres is working on a framework to support and conduct undergraduate research.
David Francisco Coronado [biography]

David Francisco Coronado Soria is a civil engineering graduaded at Universidad San Francisco de Quito with experience in research, teaching, and construction. His work focuses on sustainable design, structural analysis, and community development. He has collaborated on scientific publications, worked as a teaching assistant, and led engineering projects with social impact through Engineers Without Borders. He is now a candidate for a Master in Structural Engineering at the University of Porto to deepen his expertise in innovative and resilient structures.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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