When engineering education programs send students to pursue projects in countries of the developing world, everyone benefits. The students get to see how they can make a difference in people’s lives, and everyone else gets another hands-on engineer who will strive to make a positive impact on the world around them.
In an effort to give engineering students this opportunity make a difference, Villanova University’s College of Engineering has partnered with Aqua America Inc. to send young engineers to Nicaragua and Panama as part of the school’s international service work.
Students work with Aqua’s leadership and engineers, along with Villanova Engineering Service Learning (VESL) representatives, to inspect water project sites, meet with local communities and connect with non-government organizations in the region.
Working with in-country partners is crucial to the success of the program, providing the capacity to implement projects where they are most needed. In the Alto Bayano region of Panama, VESL has been providing engineering support on water-related infrastructure projects for 25 years, and with local support has helped to develop one of the largest rural water supply systems in Central America.
The partnership with Aqua America will allow VESL to expand it’s reach and impact in its partner regions, while creating unique learning opportunities for the next generation of engineers.
“We are excited about the opportunity to work with Aqua America in what is a true partnership,” said Villanova’s Gary Gabriele, Dean of Engineering. “Aqua is VESL’s first corporate partner to put boots on the ground, and we look forward to the continued growth of this partnership.”
Aqua’s president and CEO Christopher Franklin expanded on the potential of the partnership.
“Because this commitment has become part of our culture, it will continue long into the future,” Franklin said. “When we consider how fortunate we are to live in the United States where clean drinking water is almost taken for granted, we must consider what other human beings in other countries endure each day to find clean water for their children to drink.”
Aqua supports water quality improvement projects through the Aqua Charitable Trust and by forming partnerships with community-based nonprofit organizations within the company’s territory. This partnership with Villanova and its VESL program marks the first time Aqua will be taking its commitment internationally.
“As one of the nation’s leading water companies, our mission is to protect and provide Earth’s most essential resource,” Franklin added. “In our own small way, we will demonstrate our commitment in a few communities outside the U.S. where clean, safe drinking water is so desperately needed. We look forward to leveraging our expertise and partnering with Villanova’s distinguished College of Engineering faculty and students on this program.”
The investment and opportunities provided by Villanova and Aqua America are a great benefit for the communities they visit, and for the future that will see engineers with the drive to improve the world around them, all around the world.
Find out more at the Aqua America Charitable Trust and the Villanova STEM Outreach and Service Learning websites.