2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Engineering education is at a critical juncture, with increasing recognition of its potential to contribute to social justice and sustainability. This study explores the integration of the Engineering for One Planet (EOP) framework into engineering classrooms to equip students with the tools to address systemic inequities and environmental challenges. Grounded in culturally sustaining and anti-deficit pedagogical practices, the EOP framework leverages tools such as the STEEP framework (Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, and Political) to foster systems-level thinking and engage students in critical discussions about the intersection of engineering, equity, and justice. This paper examines a case study where the EOP-aligned curriculum was implemented in a course analyzing the Atlanta water main crisis. Faculty training, supported by the STEEP framework and reflective practices inspired by Schön’s (1984) concepts of “Reflection-in-Action” and “Reflection-on-Action,” enabled educators to design and facilitate learning experiences that connected technical problem-solving with social and environmental responsibility. Student reflections (n=30) were analyzed using the Constant Comparative Method (CCM) to evaluate the impact of these tools on their understanding of sustainability, social justice, and engineering’s role in addressing systemic challenges. Findings reveal that the EOP-aligned curriculum significantly enhanced students’ ability to connect technical solutions to broader societal and environmental issues, fostering critical thinking and ethical decision-making. Students demonstrated increased awareness of the intersections between climate change and marginalized communities, proposing actionable solutions that integrated equity and sustainability into engineering practices. Faculty outcomes highlighted shifts toward justice-oriented teaching strategies and identified opportunities for institutional support to sustain these efforts. This study underscores the transformative potential of embedding sustainability and social responsibility into engineering education, even amid political resistance to DEI initiatives. By framing the classroom as a terrain of struggle and a site of possibility, the EOP framework advances the goal of preparing engineers to lead with equity and sustainability at the forefront of their work.