We are excited to announce that the First Nations context for the 2024 EWB Challenge will be delivered in collaboration with the Torres Strait Island Regional Council (TSIRC) with a focus on Saibai Island within the Torres Strait Islands. Student design ideas aim to support TSIRC staff with their work on the ground in Saibai Island.

Torres Strait context

Saibai Island is located in the top western group of islands in the Torres Strait, approximately 138 kms north of Horn Island and 4 kms south of the International Maritime border with Papua New Guinea. It is part of the Torres Strait Island Region and is approximately 800 kms north of mainland Australia. The island covers an area of around 42km² and is characterised by a flat topography with a mix of sandy beaches, mangrove forests, and lush vegetation.

Saibai is a flat mud mangrove island with the community established on a narrow strip of beachfront situated a few metres above sea level. The community is inundated several times a year by king tides overtopping a basic stone seawall that was constructed in the mid 1900’s, as well as a concrete seawall built in 2017.

Caption: Saibai Island seawall during low tide, high tide and king tide (from left to right).

One aspect of biosecurity in the Torres Strait involves restrictions on the movement of waste materials between the islands and mainland Australia. The primary reason for this restriction is to minimise the risk of introducing harmful pests, diseases, or contaminants that may be present in the waste into mainland Australia.

Waste management practices in the Torres Strait aim to ensure that waste generated in the region is treated appropriately, minimising the risk of contamination and the introduction of harmful substances to the mainland or other sensitive areas.

Currently, Saibai Island, like many other islands in the Torres Strait, faces challenges in waste management. Limited infrastructure and resources contribute to constraints in waste collection, disposal, and recycling on the island. With the increasing population and economic activities, the amount of waste being generated has also grown, putting pressure on existing waste management systems.

The community partner for this year’s First Nations context, TSIRC, plays a crucial role in the governance and administration of the region. Comprising 15 elected Councillors representing 15 wards, TSIRC is responsible for delivering a wide range of services and programs to the local communities, including infrastructure development, waste management, environmental conservation, and cultural preservation initiatives.

TSIRC is committed to upholding the rights and interests of the Torres Strait Islanders, including their traditional knowledge and customary practices. This commitment is evident in the council’s efforts to protect marine ecosystems, such as the implementation of sustainable fishing practices and the conservation of critical habitats for endangered species like the dugong, which holds significant cultural and economic value for the Islanders.

Scoping trip 

Caption: EWB staff, Sai Rupa Dev and Josh Macleod speaking with Councillor Conwell Tabuai.

In December 2023, the EWB Challenge team travelled to Saibai Island to meet with representatives from TSIRC and local community members to progress the scoping process that feeds into the comprehensive design brief and supporting multimedia resources issued to our EWB Challenge students.

“One of the biggest challenges encountered during the scoping process was at the very start of our trip, when we were trying to get to the island safely amidst Cyclone Jasper. We didn’t know when or if we could arrive on the island until we were actually there. This initial hurdle put into perspective the remoteness of this part of Australia, as well as the logistical challenges associated with it. I can only presume that there would be similar challenges for contractors, health professionals, and other emergency services.

“Once we arrived at Saibai Island, it was marvellous to witness this amazing island right at the cusp of the international maritime boundary. Papua New Guinea is just 4 kms away and you can see it from the shore. Saibai is a tight knit community where everyone knows each other, and they welcomed us straight in. The most interesting thing I found on the island is that every house has a name derived from their clan of origin” – Sai Rupa Dev, EWB Challenge Series Lead.

Design considerations for students

When developing their designs for Saibai Island, students will need to take into consideration the solution’s sustainability, impact on community and environment, community engagement, cost and economic benefits, materials and access as well as delivery and ongoing management. 

“Given the remoteness of the island, waste is a huge problem as it isn’t logistically feasible to transfer waste generated within the island elsewhere. I’m excited for students to take this challenge into consideration and incorporate circular design thinking into their projects.” – Sai Rupa Dev, EWB Challenge Series Lead.

Students participating in the 2023 EWB Challenge within the Torres Strait context will develop design proposals addressing one or more of the following themes: 

• Waste management;
• Water and sanitation;
• Information and communication technology;
• Infrastructure;
• Energy;
• and climate change/disaster management.

Students will also have access to immersive virtual reality interactives captured using 360 degree cameras and drones developed by EWB. Students will need to consider the many challenges posed by climate change and the remoteness of the Torres Strait Islands when designing their proposals for Saibai Island, amongst other challenges.

The EWB Challenge is delivered as part of the EWB Challenge Series, EWB’s real-world curriculum-integrated university education programs. The 2024 EWB Challenge is delivered in partnership with the Torres Strait Island Regional Council.

The post Announcing our 2024 EWB Challenge community partner – Torres Strait Island Regional Council appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

Each year, the EWB Challenge Showcase brings together top university student teams from across the country. Students present the most innovative, community-centred design ideas developed in response to the EWB Challenge Design Brief, and all event participants celebrate a year of learning, focused work, and collaboration.

This year’s EWB Challenge Showcase saw students, academics, judges, and EWB staff from across Australia, New Zealand and Cambodia travel to James Cook University’s Nguma-bada campus in far north Queensland to celebrate their designs. Students and academics were also able to participate in workshops designed by EWB to enrich participator design skills, as well as cross-cultural learnings. 

It was the first time in EWB Challenge history that students responded to one of two different community contexts; a First Nations context in Australia with Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation, and a Mondulkiri context in Cambodia, in partnership with the EWB Australia team in Cambodia. With representatives from both community partners present at the Showcase, it was a particularly enriching experience for students who had taken into consideration the community contexts in their projects throughout the year. 

Judges listening to a pitch addressing the First Nations context at the EWB Challenge Showcase.

2023 Award Winners 

Students who participated in the 2023 EWB Challenge developed design proposals addressing a variety of themes including but not limited to: Information and Communication Technology, Energy, Waste management and Water management.

Judges from Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation and EWB Australia in Cambodia were very impressed with the finalist pitches. Congratulations to the following award winners: 

• Showcase Pitch Award – First Nations context: University of Western Australia – Modular container system
• Community Partner Award – First Nations context: Curtin University – Solution to Bush Tucker Degeneration
• Showcase Pitch Award – Cambodia context: Canterbury University – Producing waste bricks as a solution to the waste management problem in Pu Ngaol, Cambodia
• Community Partner Award – Cambodia context: Auckland University of Technology – Infrastructure to enable safe river access
• Best Stall Award: Curtin University – Solution to Bush Tucker Degeneration
• Industry Reviewer Award: RMIT – Ground water detection system to aid in flood response

A big congratulations to the award winners for 2023 and thank you to all the finalists! 

Finalists from the University of Western Australia, who took home the Showcase Pitch award – First Nations context

EWB Australia would like to acknowledge the Yirrganydji traditional owners and thank Dawul Wuru, their staff and partners who have shared so much with us to inform the 2023 EWB Challenge brief. EWB Australia also like to thank RS Group, who sponsored the 2023 EWB Challenge, and James Cook University for hosting the 2023 EWB Challenge Showcase.

The EWB Challenge is delivered as part of the EWB Challenge Series, EWB’s real-world curriculum-integrated university education programs. Learn more about the EWB Challenge here.

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In 2023, two different community contexts were offered to universities delivering the EWB Challenge Series program. The overseas context looked at the aspirations and challenges of a remote community living in Mondulkiri, Cambodia. EWB Challenge Program Lead, Sai, sat down with EWB Field Professional volunteer, Ella, to hear about her experience holding workshops and interviews with the community at the centre of the Mondulkiri context – Pu Ngaol village.

Picture this; you’re an undergraduate university student working on your first introductory engineering assignment where you are required to draw a bridge for a remote village in Cambodia. Or you are a Master’s student designing a HVAC system for households in Nepal, with variable temperature, pressure, and elevation levels to consider. University teaches you the basics – the software, the calculations, and how to write the report at the end – but how can you be sure that it’s fit for purpose in those locations? Do you really need to understand the socio-technical and cultural aspects of building something for a community you might never visit?

Environmental engineer, Ella, and I recently sat down to discuss that question amidst a million others and spoiler alert – the answer is yes. You do need to understand these aspects of your project work. But who are we to arrive at this conclusion?

My name is Sai and I’m the EWB Challenge Program Lead. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Manufacturing Engineering, with experience working in engineering research and development.

Ella recently spent 10 months in Cambodia on an overseas volunteer assignment with the Australian Volunteer Program as EWB’s WASH and Climate Change Technical Mentor. She is an environmental engineer with experience in hydrology, water resource management, and dam engineering. She has a Bachelor of Science majoring in Civil Engineering and a Master’s in Environmental Engineering. 

Ella and EWB Technology Development Project Manager, Pin, on a scoping trip in Pu Ngaol village.

Earlier this year, Ella and EWB Technology Development Project Manager Pin Prak visited Pu Ngaol, a rural village in the Mondulkiri province of Cambodia, bordering Vietnam. They conducted participatory design workshops with the community, where they sat down and spoke with residents of the village to understand more about their community practices and the challenges they experience. I was so excited when I heard about this, I had to sit down with Ella to reflect on her experience.

“Mondulkiri is beautiful; rolling hills, very green and cool, quite unlike the rest of lowland Cambodia,” says Ella. Much of Mondulkiri Province is a natural protected area, which is home to wild boars, elephants, birds and snakes.

 

“But how different is a rural Cambodian village compared to the city’s capital?”

 

“Very different actually,” Ella tells me. “You move from high rises and concrete to raised wooden houses in small communities.”

 

“The culture is different, language is different; the magnitude of differences between Khmer and Bunong groups are sometimes as big as the difference between Australian and Cambodian cultures – but other times, they aren’t really that different. You can always find something in common.”

Bunong are an Indigenous minority group in Cambodia and Khmer is the ethnic majority. Most residents living in Pu Ngoal are Bunong and classified as either IDPoor1 or IDPoor 2, with the former being the highest classification of poverty in Cambodia.

”You will never have a complete picture of every aspect of a beneficiary’s need, and it is easy to overlook something critical when seeing a problem from a different lens. Understanding nuances in culture and showing respect to the power of the unknown is something that is not always intuitive as an engineer,” says Ella.

 

“During one of the workshops, a young mother, said to me, ‘The bore water is contaminated, the river gives us rashes when we swim in it, and that’s where we discard animal carcasses. Where can I find clean water for my baby?’ I had no straight answer for her, it’s not a simple solution, and she knew that.”

Identification of needs and challenges is different across communities and often difficult to ascertain in communities that are geographically and socioeconomically isolated.

High dropout rates of more than 95% in the local school in Pu Ngaol contribute to the challenges in the area. One possible solution the workshop participants came up with was to grow a vegetable garden on the school grounds, where gardening and farming techniques would be taught to students, who could in turn teach their parents.

Problem-solving like this is what engineering boils down to. Community challenges have constraints, variables, and constants. You find a healthy balance between universal requirements and tailor-fitting cultural elements into the solution. It doesn’t matter how you reach the solution.

“We take our socio-technical design units at university for granted, but if we carry these learnings into engineering practice, there is a potential for great lasting impact,” Ella says.

 

“The learnings are most definitely not a one-off university course. You can really embed it and take it with you in your professional career, not for profit or otherwise.”

As engineers, we tend to focus on our designs, proposals, and reports; but it is important to be open to starting over if the solution doesn’t meet the needs of the community, and take the opportunity to reflect. 

“I was an engineer even before I knew what engineering was, it is just who I am, I love problem-solving. I am an engineer by profession but I’m also an engineer in spirit and I always seek to learn about the socio, technical, cultural, and environmental factors of a situation before I think about addressing it” says Ella.

To engineer is human, so why not consider those sociological and environmental factors along your journey?

Ella and EWB Technology Development Specialist, Mariny, accompanying Paul Jenkins from the Australian Embassy in Cambodia on a visit to see EWB projects in Koh Tnaot Island on the Mekong River in Kratie Province.

The EWB Challenge is delivered as part of the EWB Challenge Series, EWB’s real-world curriculum-integrated university education programs. The 2023 EWB Challenge was proudly sponsored by RS Group.

EWB Australia’s international engineering program and volunteer Field Professional placements are generously supported by Australian Volunteers International through the Australian Volunteers Program. Thank you to Ella and all of our wonderful Field Professional volunteers for their contributions to our engineering program.

Interested in volunteering your skills and expertise overseas with EWB? Take a look at our current Field Professional opportunities available here. 

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‘Look, listen, learn’ was the mantra of Traditional Owners on Lama Lama Country during EWB’s Impactful Futures Immersive in July, which took participants on a journey through the tropical landscapes and cultural sites of Cape York for a week. By observing and attuning themselves to the sights, sounds and voices around them, participants were able to experience a deep immersion in the culture and history of Lama Lama Country.

This Impactful Futures Immersive for industry professionals, delivered by EWB with Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation and the Lama Land Trust, was the first since the COVID-19 pandemic put study tours on hold.

The experience gave participants a fresh approach to their work, expanding their skills and cultural knowledge and deepening their place-based understanding of environmental and developmental challenges. Bringing professionals into dialogue with local community members and stakeholders, Immersives expand participants’ ways of thinking and problem-solving and challenge them to foreground deep understanding and cultural connection in their work.

Traditional Owners welcomed participants to the beginning of Lama Lama Country at Kalpower crossing.

‘Look, listen, learn’ 

Following Immersives held in Cambodia and Broome, the Immersive at Cape York was originally planned for May 2020 but was put on hold due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

The program returned in July 2023 with a 7-day study tour co-designed and delivered by EWB, the Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation and Lama Lama Land Trust, offering an exploration of the possibilities of Indigenous-led sustainable development. Participants were able to immerse themselves in the sights, landscape and wildlife of Cape York, where they were encouraged by the Traditional Owners to engage their senses and ‘look, listen, learn’. The Immersive took participants on a deep dive into Traditional Knowledge and into the history and culture of the Lama Lama people, and their Elders’ work to return to Country after being forcibly removed.

The program was co-designed over an extended period with the Lama Lama Land Trust, who guided participants through their immersion into life on Country. The Immersive built on and strengthened EWB’s long-term partnership with Lama Lama, allowing participants to benefit from the trust built with the community through a sustained, close relationship. For participants, the Immersive placed an emphasis on observing, listening and learning from the Traditional Owners through discussions and site visits.

Deep engagement with Lama Lama Country

The second day of the Immersive took participants through a cultural tour at Mossman Gorge.

Participants began the tour in Cairns, where they were welcomed through an Acknowledgement of Country by Yirrganydji Traditional Owner Brian Singleton, and spent two days travelling up to Lama Lama Country. The journey gave participants an appreciation of the remoteness of the area and of life on Cape York, and participants were able to learn about the ecology of the region as they passed through important cultural sites such as Mossman Gorge, Laura Quinkan Split Rock Art Site, the Gateway to Cape York sculpture park at Lakeland and Scrubby Lagoon.

At Kalpowar Crossing, participants were welcomed to the beginning of Lama Lama Country by Traditional Owners, then set up camp in Port Stewart. Their time in Lama Lama Country included immersive experiences of traditional culture, food, language and practices, ongoing discussions of environmental and developmental challenges, opportunities to view key infrastructure, and visits to culturally and environmentally significant sites. Participants gained an in-depth understanding of life on Country and the challenges affecting conservation and infrastructure, including water quality, power supply, and telecommunications.

On the last day of their time on Lama Lama Country, participants engaged in a 2-hour workshop, beginning with mapping social, cultural and environmental and structural assets already present in Lama Lama Country. This led to participants identifying challenges affecting people and Country that they’d heard directly from Lama Lama people during the trip, including limited access to communications networks, the risk of frequent flood damage to infrastructure and the environment, and challenges in ensuring a safe and reliable water supply. 

Participants then identified initial potential opportunities or solutions for development, which were presented to Lama Lama Traditional Owners for their feedback.

Open minds and open hearts

Participants at Hann River Crossing on their way to Port Stewart.

Participants described the Immersive as a challenging and rewarding experience which introduced them to new mindsets and methods, teaching them to approach communities with ‘an open mind and open heart’ and ‘be comfortable with feeling uncomfortable’.

Reflections from participants described the ‘powerful and moving’ experiences they had throughout the week, including memorable highlights of ‘walking through the rainforest and being totally immersed in the stories’ and the privilege of spending time with Lama Lama Traditional Owners and their ‘willingness to share, openness and generosity’.  

What’s next?

For participants, the Cape York Immersive offered an opportunity to reflect on their professional practice, challenge their assumptions and cultivate a focus on listening and learning in partnership with communities.

The program is planned to continue in the coming months with an Immersive in Port Vila, Vanuatu which will explore engineering for climate resilience in the region. Find out more here. If you would like to be on our mailing list to hear about upcoming Immersives, complete our Expression of Interest form here. 

EWB Australia would like to acknowledge the Lama Lama Traditional Owners who supported our time on and allowed us to safely visit Country. We would like to thank the Lama Lama Land Trust, Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation and their staff and partners who have shared so much with us to inform and support the delivery of 2023 Cape York Immersive. We would also like to thank other individuals and Traditional Owner groups who met with us on their Country at different parts of our journey on our way up Cape York to Lama Lama Country. We are also grateful to the support of our corporate partners who supported their staff to attend this Immersive. 

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A new place-based Outreach program – designed by Indigenous people for Indigenous young people – was recently piloted in a small community in Far North Queensland in collaboration with Engineers Australia’s Indigenous Engineers Group and Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation, with the goal to inspire and support the next generation of Indigenous Engineers. 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people represent 3.2 per cent of the Australian population but only 0.5 per cent of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) university graduates in Australia – despite research showing that Indigenous people are just as interested in science as their peers. A newly launched Indigenous-led Youth Outreach program seeks to change this. 

This Youth Outreach initiative, led by Engineers Australia’s Indigenous Engineers Group (IEG) and supported by EWB Australia, kicked off earlier this year in June with support from our community partner, Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation (YAC). The first pilot for this program was delivered to a group of 25 school-aged First Nations students in Coen, a small community situated in central Cape York in Far North Queensland. 

The two-day workshops and broader Indigenous-led Youth Outreach program was the culmination of findings and design work from the Yarrawarra Forum held in October 2022, as well as research gathered from the Reimagining Pathways precursor project during 2020-21. The Yarrawarra Forum saw 27 delegates from around Australia convene on Gadigal Country to collaborate on the design of an Indigenous-led Youth Outreach program. Delegates included Indigenous engineers, students, elders and educators – who together share a lived-experience as Indigenous engineers, or experience as educators of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The aim of the Forum was to kick-start the design of a new approach to engage Indigenous Youth in engineering pathways. What resulted was a unanimous, clear vision for an Indigenous-led Youth Outreach program. 

Pilot workshops in Coen

Caption: Facilitators, Grant and Sativa, helping participants draw their drone designs.

After consultation with the Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation, the project team with guidance from all-Indigenous Steering Committee developed and finalised workshop activities specific to the context and community participating in the program. 

The first day of workshops focused on flight, with links drawn between boomerang design and modern aerodynamic technology such as planes and drones. Younger students were tasked with designing their own drones whilst older students learnt how to use block coding so they could fly a drone to land on a specific spot. Lama Lama rangers from Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation shared information with the participants about how they use modern drone technology and its application to their traditional knowledge and work on Country, such as monitoring the turtle population during breeding season.

Facilitators, Grant and Sativa, testing the students’ canoes at the river while students watched on.

The second day of workshops was themed around water and its importance and use on Country. Younger students engaged in water filtration and canoe building activities using materials found on Country, wrapping up the day by testing the buoyancy of their inventions at the local river. Meanwhile, older students were tasked with an engineering project of supplying water to a new town and the challenges it would involve. They were asked to wear an engineering hat of their choice that best suited their interests – be it electrical, mechanical or civil, and encouraged to think in those terms in their pursuit of solutions to the problem.  

At the end of the workshops, students were awarded with awards like ‘MVP’ and ‘Best Listener’, while EWB and IEG received positive feedback from students, reporting an overall increased interest in studying engineering. Finally, a yarning Q&A with the volunteer facilitators was held, where they shared how they came to be engineers, the kind of engineering they do, and past projects they’ve worked on.  

First of its kind: Indigenous-Led Youth Outreach program delivered on Country

Indigenous-led Youth Outreach program volunteer facilitators from left to right: Isaac Barton, Sativa O’Connor, Grant Maher and Josh MacLeod.

From the program’s inception at the Yarrawarra Forum, to its design and development over the past year and its ultimate facilitation in Coen, Indigenous engineers have steered this project by ensuring its relevance to First Nations-specific challenges and perspectives. 

And the young participants of the workshops were not the only ones reaping the benefits of shared knowledge. Volunteer facilitators were afforded the opportunity to spend the day prior to the workshops on Lama Lama Country with Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation, building relationships and a connection with Country. One facilitator reflected that delivering the experience had “re-sparked their passion for youth outreach programs”. 

What’s next?

Indigenous-led Youth Outreach program facilitators with Lama Lama staff and rangers in Coen, Far North Queensland.

After the successful delivery of the inaugural Indigenous-led Youth Outreach program, the team is looking to run a second pilot later this year in another community in Australia, likely in the Kimberley region of WA. To continue to deliver this valuable work and support future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in STEM, these programs require generous sponsorship and funding. 

If you share our commitment to equitable access to technology and increased First Nations representation in engineering, please contact us to find out more and consider if your organisation may be able to sponsor this program at partnerships@ewb.org.au.  

If you are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander engineer or working in the STEM sector and are interested in volunteering your time to facilitate these workshops in the future, please complete this expression of interest form.  

A second Yarrawarra Forum is being planned for later in the year or early 2024, to evaluate and review the pilot programs against original goals by Indigenous delegates, including volunteers and pilot community representatives, to ensure the program is truly Indigenous-led before a 2024 launch and set up for success.

We would like to acknowledge the generous support of our program partner, Aurecon, who supported the design and delivery of this first Indigenous-led Outreach pilot as well as the 2022 Yarrawarra Forum, as well as ongoing support from Engineers Australia. We’d also like to thank Bindy and David Koadlow who funded the Reimaginating Pathways precursor project which paved the way for this program. We would also like to acknowledge the Lama Lama Traditional Owners who supported our time on Country and thank the Yintjingga Aboriginal Corporation and their staff who supported the co-design process for workshop activities. We are also grateful to the support of our other corporate partners who supported their staff to volunteer their time to deliver this program and who support EWB Australia’s youth outreach programs more broadly. 

We would also like to extend a big thank you to our program facilitators; Josh MacLeod (EWB STEM Pathways Lead), Grant Maher (Chair of the Indigenous Engineers Group & Director of Jabin Group), Sativa O’Connor (Arup Technical Drafter) and Isaac Barton (co-founder of Blak Label Music). We are also excited to share that since volunteering on the program, Isaac has recently started a new job at EWB Australia working on our First Nations focused Youth Outreach Programs.

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The cultivation of native grains through careful land management was once central to Aboriginal life. However, following colonisation, the shift to European foods and farming methods damaged native grasslands and reduced biodiversity.

At Nguurruu farm, 40 minutes north of Canberra, Murray Prior is working with Ngambri custodians to implement regenerative farming practices and revive native foods and land management. Farming practices at Nguurruu are informed by Indigenous knowledges and seek to restore biodiversity and reverse ecological damage.

The second iteration of the EWB ACT Chapter’s ‘Nguluway’ Local Design Summit, held earlier this year in collaboration with Nguurruu farm, gave university students and industry professionals firsthand insight into regenerative farming practices on Country. 

Year two of the Summit

The Local Design Summit is an immersive 1-2 week learning experience, allowing participants to collaborate with First Nations peoples to design, build and work on Country. Through workshops and site visits, the Summit highlights the importance of local community engagement, cross-cultural awareness and teamwork.

The 2023 EWB ACT Chapter-led Summit took place on the Australian National University’s Acton campus and Nguurruu Farm, where participants were hosted by co-custodians Paul Girrawah House, a proud Ngambri-Ngurmal (Walgalu), Pajong (Gundungurra), Wallabollooa (Ngunnawal) and Erambie/Brungle (Wiradyuri) man, and Murray Prior. 

The theme for the 2023 ACT Chapter Local Design Summit was ‘Nguluway’, a name given by Paul Girrawah House, meaning ‘meeting each other’. Over the three phases of the Summit, participants learned about sustainable development and Indigenous knowledge and collaborated on potential designs and solutions.

The ACT Chapter’s first Local Design Summit in 2022 first established relationships with Nguurruu farm and Gungarri men Dan Ganter and Warren Saunders, both involved in the native grain industry. The 2022 program initiated a number of design projects such as a vibrating seed cleaner. 

Upon the suggestion of Murray Prior and Paul Girrawah House, the second summit expanded on this initial work to spark Indigenous-led innovation in areas like native grains and foods. Held in January at the time of the native grains harvest, the summit facilitated co-design and two-way learning between settler and Ngambri-Ngunnawal participants.

On Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country

Local Design Summit participants on Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country.

The first phase of the summit was held at ANU and involved a series of workshops, where participants learned about sustainable and holistic development and Country-centred Design Theory.

Participants then attended a site visit at Nguurruu farm, receiving a Welcome to Country from four generations of the House family, including a smoking ceremony and the opportunity for the women to dance alongside Aunty Matilda House. The site visit brought together EWB participants, the Ngambri mob and special guests from the ANU Bandalang Design Studio and Soils for Life for a day focussed on reviving native foods and land management.

Throughout the day, participants attended onsite workshops on reviving the traditional grain economy and adapting ancient bush medicines to modern uses. At the end of the site visit day, participants shared a ‘Native Grains feast’ which celebrated local foods and ingredients, and heard talks given by owner Murray Prior and others.

Hackathon day

Local Design Summit participants during the hackathon held at ANU.

Following time spent on Country at Nguurruu farm, participants reconvened at ANU to reflect on the site visit and brainstorm ideas on native grains and land management, exploring possible designs and solutions which they presented back to the group. During the hackathon day, participants were able to consult and co-design with Dan Ganter (Gunggari man) and Karmen, both deeply involved in the native grain industry.

Ideas included a new design for a native grains collection bag to assist harvesting and a tool for increasing awareness and promoting the supply of native flora. Participants also explored a potential process for fair, Indigenous-led commercialisation of native products, and a business opportunity to encourage knowledge, growth and use of native plants. 

“Start reconciliation practices today, not tomorrow”

EWB ACT Chapter Louise Bardwell reflects on her experience organising and delivering the Chapter’s second Local Design Summit: 

“Tyson Yunkaporta wrote how “at low levels of knowledge there is only difference across cultures but at high levels there is common ground.” He called for an end to culture as being a “tokenistic add-on,” advocating for a path forward where we learn “through culture, not just about culture.” 

 

One of the greatest things I have learnt across this journey of designing the Local Design Summit with my EWB ACT community is to stop worrying about doing it wrong. Coming from a space of well intention, you can easily worry yourself into doing nothing at all rather than giving it a go and maybe making a few mistakes along the way. With the support, encouragement, and experience of my EWB ACT peers, we were able to take a community approach to unlearning and relearning, together giving it a go to see how we could design and run an immersive two-way learning experience with and for First Nations Peoples on our local Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. 

 

The process was highly iterative, and we certainly didn’t always get it perfectly right, but the important thing was that we were doing something, and we were doing it together. Having the opportunity to form relationships with such generous people like Murray Prior, Dan and Warren Ganter and Paul and Matilda House made me appreciate how important it is for us all to start reconciliation practices today, not tomorrow.”

Next steps for the Local Design Summit

The EWB ACT Chapter is currently organising a two-part design and prototyping session to problem solve and workshop ideas to support the growth of the native grains and seeds industry. As a recipient of the RS PRO / EWB Student Sustainability Design competition, the EWB ACT Chapter will use donated RS PRO Products from RS Components in the sessions. The sessions will also be guided by the knowledge and expertise of Warren Saunders and Dan Ganter. 

The design and problem solving session will run in June 2023 and the prototyping session, supported by the ANU Makerspace, will run in August 2023. If you live in ACT and are interested in attending, please email the ACT Chapter at act@ewb.org.au. You can also keep up to date with their events by following their Facebook page.

The Nguluway Local Design Summit 2023 was generously supported by the Natasha Linard Scholarship received by EWB ACT Chapter member Charlotte Fell from the Australian National University (ANU), as well as the ANU Centre for Entrepreneurial Agri-Technology (CEAT). 

The Summit and its time out on Country also could not have happened without the tireless efforts and support of Murray and Michelle Prior from Nguurruu farm.

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In 2022 STEM x Changemakers, a new initiative of University of Technology Sydney’s Women in Engineering and IT (WiEIT) and EWB Australia, with support from the Caterpillar Foundation, launched with a mission to change that.

Collaborating for impact

WiEIT and EWB Australia both have existing outreach programs that aim to increase diversity in the STEM disciplines by showcasing the possibilities available to groups that are currently underrepresented in the field. Through this shared purpose, and the EWB Australia University of Technology Sydney Chapter, they’ve formed close ties and a healthy history of working together.

So, when the time came to develop a program that would open outreach opportunities up to regional school students, WiEIT and EWB Australia decided to harness each other’s strengths. It was a partnership that made sense, because both learning providers were aware of the dedication required to build long-term impact in increasing diversity in STEM.

As a joint initiative, STEM x Changemakers could hit the ground running with quality, relevant content and leverage strong links to industry and a driven national network of volunteers. Combining resources has also assisted in making the most of existing relationships in the education sector, which proved useful in driving interest during the program’s launch year.

The STEM x Changemakers program is delivered by volunteer facilitators from EWB Australia’s industry partners and network of university student chapter members, who are each trained in facilitation and delivery. 

“Working with school communities, industry and university students over time allows us to bring resources and innovation where they’re really needed – that’s what change looks like from our perspective.” – Dr. Marco Angelini, Outreach Co-ordinator – UTS, Women in Engineering and IT

The three workshops that are currently on offer to schools have been designed to be particularly relevant to regional students:

• Drones for Disaster Relief: Students explore the common issues faced during times of a natural disaster such as information, access, supply and rescue, and design solutions that utilise drone technology to improve the ability of humanitarian services in mitigating the impacts.
• Natural Disaster Resistant Structures: Tasked with developing a housing proposal for a specific context that aims to minimise the impact of natural disasters on housing, students develop prototypes using a combination of practical and system-level techniques.
• Improved Mobility Design Challenge: With a particular focus on endemic issues faced by remote communities, students design solutions to improve mobility and access for communities with diverse backgrounds.

The content is curriculum-integrated, so that schools can provide students with an engaging, novel way to explore STEM that aligns and integrates with school priorities and timelines, instead of adding to their existing work. There’s no barrier to access, as no cost is passed on to schools.

An accessible blended model

Across six sessions, students learn about the project context, design and prototype solutions, test and evaluate, and then present back to their peers. The program features a mix of in-person and online facilitation, which allows students to benefit from a deep multi-session program whilst enabling volunteer facilitators to contribute around their work or study commitments.

Classroom teachers are provided training specific to facilitating the workshops, as well as professional development on the topics of emerging STEM pathways and inclusivity in engineering. This ‘train the trainer’ approach is a key part of the program’s design, as it enables teachers to provide support in the classroom during the sessions where the volunteer facilitators are online and to continue discussions with their students beyond the program.

The first year of STEM x Changemakers focused on schools in New South Wales and received strong demand, with Trinity College in Goulburn, St Matthews Catholic School in Mudgee and Crookwell High School the first to participate. The program received encouraging feedback, with a majority of participating students showing measurable learning improvements.

After reflecting on the successes and scope for improvement, preparations are now underway to scale up in 2023, with plans to expand into Victoria.

If you’re interested in booking a STEM x Changemakers workshop for your school, please contact Joshua Macleod, EWB Australia’s STEM Pathways Lead at j.macleod@ewb.org.au and Dr Marco Angelini, UTS Project Coordinator at marco.angelini@uts.edu.au.

If you would like to support EWB’s work in increasing diversity in engineering, please donate here.

EWB Australia and WiEIT would like to thank Caterpillar Foundation for their support of STEM x Changemakers.

The post Drones, disasters and design – new STEM outreach for regional classrooms appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

In October 2022, 27 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engineers, educators, Traditional Owners, students, and land and sea managers came together from across the country to address just that – creating a shared vision to inspire a new generation of Indigenous engineers.

Committed to changing that, the group convened on Gadigal Country for the Yarrawarra Forum – the inaugural initiative of Engineers Australia’s Indigenous Engineers Group (IEG) (‘yarrawarra’ being the Gumbaynggirr word for ‘happy meeting place’). The Forum brought these expert voices together to begin the process of co-designing a unique program that will provide a pathway for more young Indigenous people to forge a career in engineering.

A special interest group of Engineers Australia’s College of Leadership and Management, the IEG is a network of shared knowledge, perspectives, support and inspiration for young professional and upcoming Indigenous engineers. Their focus on reaching young Indigenous students and showcasing the vast opportunities a career in engineering can provide for them, their family and their communities sparked this initiative, which is being delivered with support from Engineers Without Borders Australia and event sponsor Aurecon.

Grant Maher, descendant of the Gumbaynggirr and Biripi people, Structural and Facade Engineer, and Chairperson of the Indigenous Engineers Group, explains why this initiative is so important.

“We’ve seen an enormous increase in demand for Indigenous Engineers to engage in projects throughout Australia, but the demand far outweighs the number of working Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engineers. The past 15-20 years we have seen the development of STEM related pathways and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island kids in late high-school and university, but this has not been there for primary and middle school kids. It is needed here to ignite that spark and interest in STEM, in particular engineering. This program seeks to address this – we need to create and develop the next engineers and leaders for our people – this is where this initiative differs from others. It focuses on the pipeline, development and support of these kids from their early stages of schooling right through to their tertiary studies and into their career as a professional engineer,” says Grant.

Delegates at the Yarrawarra Forum. Photo credit: Wayne Quilliam

So, what did the delegates come up with?

Across two days, the delegates explored a number of ways to meaningfully show young Indigenous people that undertaking a career in engineering will create opportunities for them, their families and their communities. Guest Professor Martin Nakata from James Cook University set the scene by presenting research around some of the barriers to First Nations young people entering and performing in STEM pathways from school to university. This research found that engagement at younger ages is critical to success. After deeper discussion and activities, the delegates drafted a variety of program designs that included education workshops and digital resources to support ongoing learning by students and teachers.

The delegates proposed that the program should be place-based and delivered on Country by Indigenous facilitators with support from friends in the engineering sector – with culture and community at the centre. By engaging younger, primary school and early high school-aged students, their families and community to engineering, the program will address a gap in current initiatives and showcase to students the relevance of engineering at an age before they’ve made up their mind on their future. They also felt the program should showcase how Indigenous engineering is very real and alive today in traditional artefacts and tools to connect engineering to their culture and identity, while combining both modern and traditional skills.

The group also raised the importance of demystifying what engineering is and engaging young people in engineering for Country. They aim to do this by grounding the program in real, local aspirations and challenges by working closely with community to tailor each program. Not only should engineering be made relevant to their community; it must also be tangible by seeing real Indigenous role model facilitators. This will be possible through linking kids to other support organisations and mentoring as they grow older, in order to foster pathways to engineering.

Josh McLeod, a proud Dharug man and descendant of the Boorooberongal Clan, was a delegate at the Yarrawarra Forum, and is EWB Australia’s STEM Pathways Lead.  Says Josh, “It was inspiring to work with such a deadly group from all over Australia that all shared their passion for improving our representation of First Nations people with STEM careers. It was incredible to have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges we all face in the STEM space as First Nations people. I’m looking forward to witnessing the powerful outcomes of the Forum and watching our younger generations thrive in the world we are building.”

Some of the yarning and findings captured at the Yarrawarra Forum. Credit: Emma Shumack

What’s next?

A steering committee has now been established to oversee the co-design of an outreach program to be delivered by Indigenous engineers on Country, building on the ideas proposed during the Yarrawarra Forum. Two pilot initiatives are currently in development in Far North Queensland, and reflections from those programs will inform a national approach to support the next generation of Indigenous engineers.

At this exciting and formative stage, the program needs support from the engineering and philanthropic sectors. If you or your organisation would like to help enable the next phases of this groundbreaking program, please contact Grace Roberts, EWB Australia Pathways Outreach Program Manager at g.roberts@ewb.org.au.

If you’re interested in being part of Engineers Australia’s Indigenous Engineers Group, you can find out more and sign up here.

The IEG and EWB Australia would like to thank event sponsor Aurecon for their support of the Yarrawarra Forum.

The post Designing Indigenous-led engineering pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

An annual STEM outreach event that explores and showcases the opportunities possible in STEM careers brought 60 high-school students from three schools across Victoria together for a series of design challenges in November, 2022.

The outreach program known as the Innovation Challenge has been run in Victoria by the EWB Australia University of Melbourne Chapter since 2019. The program engages Year 9 and 10 students, primarily from backgrounds under-represented in STEM, in an in-depth, hands-on socio-technical design challenge.

Supported by Bentley Education, the Innovation Challenge seeks to inspire, empower and educate the next generation of socio-technical professionals. The format is designed with regional school students in mind – ensuring they can easily engage with the program.

Nurturing the next generation of engineers

Hosted at the University of Melbourne Parkville campus, school students from Viewbank College, Wantirna College, and Newhaven College were excited to join the Chapter volunteers to showcase their design proposals. They also got to pick the minds of post-graduate engineering students, tour the university and hear from socio-technical engineering role-models.

The showcase event was the culmination of weeks of build up, during which students were taken through the design context and worked on their proposals by utilising online resources and touchpoints with a mentor from the Chapter.

The design context explored the aspirations of Dawul Wuru Aboriginal Corporation (Dawul Wuru), a current community partner for the EWB Challenge. Dawul Wuru was established in 2010 to protect, secure, support and promote the rights and interests of local Aboriginal Traditional owners and custodians – specifically the Yirrganydji people who are the traditional custodians of the area. The program content that was developed for the EWB Challenge was adapted to be accessible for the high school students participating in the Innovation Challenge.

After spending time with mentors to refine their presentations, which addressed the themes of Structures, Energy, and Waste and Reuse, students presented their proposals to a panel of judges. The judging panel was made up of industry professionals, including Simone Costello from Arup, former Innovation Challenge organisers Maxwell Jones and Warne Lewis, Kuthur Sriram from Bentley Education, John Osmond and Anna Fernandes from Matter Consulting, and Jasmin Goldberg from Aurecon.

The participants presented a range of design ideas, including a solar-powered coral terrarium, a biogas generator made from eco-bricks (complete with an indicative prototype), and a flexible accommodation structure.

A Year 10 school student working on their presentation at the Innovation Challenge.

What they said:

“EWB really challenged us to think outside the box. I have learnt so much and it has opened my eyes to the opportunity that engineering will hold in the future.” – Student, Year 10 

“The Innovation Challenge allowed us to explore and develop young minds across the state, by asking students how they can use their knowledge and research skills to help others in need. It was an incredible experience that allowed me to grow my own understanding of more sustainable practices while also learning to work together as a team to deliver an amazing final product.” – Victoria Pitliangas, EWB University of Melbourne Chapter President.  

“I was lucky enough to be working with the winning team during the Innovation Challenge. They were such brilliant, hard-working students who were desperate to know more about what university is like and what careers they could pursue in engineering. Innovation Challenge was an opportunity for them to show off their creativity and problem-solving – and got them a win!” – Stella Ulm, EWB University of Melbourne Chapter Innovation Challenge organiser

“I had such an amazing time working with the students. It was so nice to see them come up with creative and sustainable solutions. It was such a great learning opportunity for me as well!” – Shirdheen Murali, EWB University of Melbourne Chapter Innovation Challenge organiser

Partnership with Bentley Systems

For more than 37 years Bentley Systems, an infrastructure engineering software company, has provided innovative applications to engineers and other professionals responsible for designing, constructing and operating sustainable infrastructure that is essential to the quality of life for everyone, everywhere. Bentley’s partnership with EWB Australia truly aligns with Bentley Education’s core values to help students from all backgrounds rise to the challenges of becoming a world-class talent to improve quality of life and support infrastructure growth and resilience worldwide. 

Engineers Without Borders Australia has partnered with Bentley Systems since 2011, and Bentley Education has supported the Innovation Challenge since 2021.

Next steps

In 2023, the Innovation Challenge will run for the first time in two states. The University of Melbourne Chapter will again deliver the event in Victoria and representatives from the University of Queensland and Queensland University of Technology Chapters are planning to deliver the event in Queensland.

Interested in supporting STEM Outreach workshops like the Innovation Challenge? Find out more about joining your local Chapter here. 

The post Inspiring the next generation of technology stewards with Bentley Systems appeared first on Engineers Without Borders Australia.

From Busselton on the southwest edge of Australia to the Torres Strait Islands in the far north, EWB Australia’s Regioneering program sprung well and truly back into action in 2022.Through week-long road trips, Regioneering inspires students in regional and remote areas, a cohort that often misses out on STEM outreach initiatives, to engage with STEM and consider the possibilities of a career in engineering.

For many EWB Australia Chapters, these trips have been on hold over the past few years due to pandemic-related restrictions. With road trips and incursions possible again across the country, EWB Australia’s Regioneers have enthusiastically returned.

Travelling far and wide

In 2022, more than 100 volunteers from EWB Australia’s University Chapters packed their bags and took to the road, and air, to inspire the next generation of socio-technical engineers.

They engaged with more than 4,200 school students, taking them through hands-on workshops that explore real-life scenarios; like creating water filtration systems, appropriate housing and renewable energy systems.

The workshops are designed to be a fun experience for students to reflect on how engineers contribute positively to society and the possibilities that could exist for them in a STEM profession. Facilitated by diverse groups of engineering university students, they showcase a wide variety of engineering disciplines – sharing what an engineer can look like and what they can do – particularly the positive impact engineers can have on people, communities and the world.

With support from RS Group, a global solutions provider, the volunteer facilitators delivered workshops in schools in the Illawarra, Central Tablelands, Central Coast, mid North Coast, and Hunter regions of New South Wales, in Victoria’s Gippsland region, in the Torres Strait Islands, South West Western Australia, and South West and Far North Queensland.

“[The trip] has made me recognise the importance of programs like these to rural areas. For these kids, this might be the only [chance they have to explore] engineering before leaving school, so these programs are super important in showing the students the possibility of a career in STEM,” reflected one of the EWB Chapter volunteers.

Students testing their floating structure during the appropriate housing activity.

Showing that engineering is for all

Along with a focus on reaching students living in regional or remote areas, the program also aims to engage other cohorts that are underrepresented in STEM professions, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, women, and people from lower socioeconomic areas. The results from this year’s participants were heartening.

14.2% of students who participated in South West WA identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Following the workshop, those students reported an average increase of 17.4% when asked to rate how interested they are in science or engineering as a career, compared to their response before the workshop. An increase of 18.1% was recorded for the same question for students identifying as female – both above the average increase for all students (16.3%).

One student from that South West WA trip commented, “I like that you guys told me that not just men can be an engineer.” Another said, “I know now what I want to grow up to be – I want to grow up to be an engineer, one that makes the big fans that produce energy for the world.”

Connecting with purpose

Along with the impact on school students, Regioneering provides an environment for engineering university students who are passionate about making a difference in the community to connect with like-minded peers. It also provides the opportunity for volunteers to develop their skills in facilitation, public speaking and leadership.

“This trip provided me with amazing opportunities to interact with kids from different backgrounds and share my experiences and love of STEM with them. It allowed me to develop my confidence in running workshops alongside a fantastic and enthusiastic team. This trip has empowered me to do more outreach, volunteering, and become more involved in EWB!” – EWB Chapter Regioneering Volunteer

RS Group’s support of the Regioneering program has also provided the opportunity for University Chapter volunteers to gain important skills for working with diverse communities before embarking on their Regioneering trips. Enabled by RS Group, a training course was developed in 2022 which guides Regioneers through topics such as challenging assumptions and biases, creating positive relationships and engaging inclusive, accessible and effective ways.

Planning is currently underway for the next round of Regioneering trips, which take place in winter 2023.

To learn more about EWB Australia’s Outreach programs and to see how you could be involved, click here.

EWB Australia would like to thank RS Group for their support of Regioneering.

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