Hey fellow EWB-ers and friends,
This weekend marks the one month anniversary of our voyage to the EWB conference hosted by Urbana-Champaign. Three of us made it out to Illinois this year (in thrifty college student fashion). The structure contained large lectures and smaller workshops, so we decided to divide and conquer as much as possible.
We all heard from distinguished EWB leaders like Frank Bergh and Peter Waugh as they illustrated where the organization is heading. Frank placed a large importance on every member of every chapter being conscious about their word choice concerning projects. We are not givers-- we are partners. The communities we work with are our partners, and we need to keep that in mind. Peter, on the other hand, outlined criteria for successful project implementation (similar to a rubric).
When it was time to breakout into smaller workshops we each chose a different topic pertinent to us. This way we managed to hit 3 of the 4-5 sessions and brought a little UC with us. Examples of these workshops included bio-sand filters, grant writing, project sustainability, and using personal style to achieve success.
Along our trip we also met up with a former EWB-UC member performing graduate work at the university there. He introduced us to his colleague and they showed us the impressive science labs and engineering facilities on campus, as well as some really interesting work they were performing.
All-in-all, the weekend was a great success as we each gained new skills and valuable contacts. As a new member to EWB, I loved this opportunity to get a small jump-start in understanding what this great organization is all about.
Pictures to come soon!
