Engineering Students Build on Their Technical Knowledge to Help Other Communities 

Jan. 28, 2025 - Most engineering students cannot say they have built a house from the ground up, but at UC Irvine the Engineers Without Borders (EWB-UCI) members pride themselves on their volunteer work that gives them real-world, hands-on engineering experience.  

EWB-USA is a national nonprofit organization that allows students to travel to underresourced communities to create infrastructures and climate-friendly solutions that address basic human needs. EWB-UCI, one chapter of over 150 nationwide, started in 2009. It was revamped in 2023 by co-Presidents Geoffrey Vander Veen and Brian Mora, following a lull brought on by Covid-19 pandemic travel restrictions.  

Veen, a third-year civil engineering major, stated that the hands-on experience, traveling and act of helping is what makes EWB-UCI an essential student experience. The club regularly organizes groups of volunteers to build houses for underserved communities in Tijuana, Mexico. On average, a group of 10 to 20 volunteers venture on a one-day trip south of the border to build a house – on each trip, one house is built. EWB-UCI partners with Corazon, a nonprofit based in Santa Ana, to schedule and coordinate the construction. Volunteer groups from both America and Tijuana work together to make the houses move-in ready. With scheduled trips once per quarter, EWB-UCI has helped build four houses over four visits.  

“We equip people and help build and foster communities in other countries, especially those that may not have the sort of technical and financial resources we do,” said Veen. “The skills you use to build that project are exactly the skills you’d use in the industry for a lot of civil engineers.”  

First-year mechanical engineering student Allen Epstein attended the Tijuana house build project in October, aiding in painting and laying down shingles. As a new student trying to find community, he thought the student organization would be a good place to start.  

“In terms of my degree and that experience,” said Epstein, “there were a lot of teamwork aspects and task assignments, keeping track of progress, making sure we were on schedule and following a schematic to build a project.” Epstein cites the overall, broader concepts as useful engineering experience.  

EWB-UCI is currently partnering with the professional chapter of Engineers Without Borders Orange County (EWB-OC) to install a water filtration system in the mountain regions of La Mocora, Ecuador. The community has a water well, but due to the minerals and deposits the water is not fit for drinking. Residents must travel to the next town over to retrieve water for drinking, cooking or cleaning.  

Veen looks forward to finding solutions for this community’s water supply, stating, “It will be easier for them, if they could get the water right where they need it. The other major benefit is that the community where they have been sourcing water does not have a lot to work with either, so it would be helpful to not have to burden one town's water supply with the needs of two communities.”  

An upcoming project set for February 2026 will see UCI students implement water filtration systems in Puerto Rico. Ten to 15 students are estimated to help with the short-term project in partnership with EWB-OC.  

Sophia Koelsch, who serves on EWB-UCI's marketing team and is the president of Engineers for a Sustainable World at UCI (ESW-UCI), is recruiting students to aid in Hurricane Helene relief in North Carolina. Both UCI student organizations are planning on providing work to those affected by last September’s natural disaster.  

EWB-UCI is also planning to contribute to relief efforts following the various wildfires that burned through Los Angeles County. For students who are interested in joining EWB-UCI and participating in any of these projects, visit the organization’s website here. Students of all majors are welcome.  

“A lot of us care about people in other countries and want to be able to use our resources here to help serve and enrich communities outside of America,” said Veen, who feels grateful for the knowledge and experience he has gained through his UCI engineering education. “So that's kind of what it means to me. We can contribute to the countries around the world. Also, it's fun. At the end of the day, it's really fun.” 

– Cassandra Nava