San Luis Obispo: Student Engineers Without Borders Chapter Brings Sustainable and Innovative Change to Communities Near and Far
According to the 2011 US News & World Report, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo not only holds the #1 position for Top Public Schools in the West, but is also considered one of the top five institutions for undergraduate engineering programs.* At an institution with such accolades, it is no wonder the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo chapter of Engineers Without Borders, USA (EWB-Cal Poly) has recently been named the National Premier Student Chapter, the highest national recognition a chapter can receive. With almost 200 members, this group is bringing sustainable and innovative change to communities both locally and abroad.
In the summer of 2011, students from EWB-Cal Poly traveled to the foothills of the Himalayas where they made their second visit to a tiny community of subsistence farmers in Sainji, India. They were there to gather information on the community's needs in preparation for a latrine they would come back a year later to build. However, days before their return, they noticed villagers de-kernelling corn by hand. Corn is the community's major cash crop and oftentimes children are asked to stay home from school to ensure a sufficient supply. Taking this and the physical detriments of manually de-kernelling corn into account, the students devised a tool that would make this task less time consuming and ease stress on finger joints. Through participatory design (working side by side with those who will use a product), the students and villagers designed an ergonomic corn de-kerneler made of local, wild bamboo and nine nails with a production cost of less than ten cents.
Back in San Luis Obispo, EWB-Cal Poly is working on California's first septic tank reuse initiative. A new wastewater treatment plant is being established in Los Osos and residents have been faced with the issue of what to do with their septic tanks. In response, EWB-Cal Poly has partnered with SLO Green Build and San Luis Obispo County to explore how they can turn the discarded system into a functional means of groundwater recharge, runoff reduction, water conservation, and water quality preservation. Their research will ideally culminate in a homeowner's manual that lays out potential options for the unused septic tanks considering soil type, terrain and local regulations. They hope this project will serve as a pilot program for the rest of the state.
*where a doctorate degree is not offered
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The students of Engineers Without Borders USA-Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo (EWB-Cal Poly) are creating change domestically and abroad. In the summer of 2011, students worked with villagers in Sainji, India to create an economical and user-friendly corn de-kerneler to help ease the physical stress of their manual method.
