The importance of in-person connection

“I absolutely loved meeting the people that I had spent hours with on Zoom!” 

Kuthur Sriram, Global Manager- Education Program – Bentley Institute at Bentley Systems gave the welcome speech to delegates

Socialising and networking with others is something we’ve all missed during the Covid years, and EWB’s Chapter network is no exception. The official launch of the Futur-neers Forum held on the Friday night, was cited by attendees as a highlight. Held at EWB’s Melbourne headquarters, it was shaped as a social evening to welcome delegates, with drinks, grazing plates, a two-piece band, and plenty of time to mingle. As part of the welcome formalities, Kuthur Sriram, Global Manager- Education Program – Bentley Institute at Bentley Systems (the Friday night event sponsor) shared how inspired he was by the people in the room – EWB’s Chapter network – that are aligned in their passion and focus to create positive impact. It was just the welcoming inspiration needed, and a great kick-off event to ground these important Chapter connections before the weekend sessions ahead. 

Connection to EWB

“It reinforced to us why we’re here and doing what we’re doing. In a degree like engineering it’s easy to lose track of your values towards engineering. This event helped me get back on track.”

Delegates at the Futur-neers Forum

Many of the attendees were relatively new to EWB, having only joined their EWB Chapter in the past year. The Saturday sessions at the Futur-neers Forum provided an opportunity to share some of the foundational elements of EWB, including EWB’s strategic focus to 2030, how volunteering for EWB works outside of their Chapter network and EWB brand messaging. Delegates felt these sessions enabled them to feel part of the larger organisation of EWB, and expanded their understanding of the organisation they are a part of. Many of EWB’s Australian national staff were also in attendance, and delegates welcomed the opportunity to speak with staff directly to gain deeper insights into how the Australian office works and how staff are activating the EWB mission and strategy.

Solidifying relationships

“It was great meeting a wide range of Chapter reps from all over Australia”

As a network, the EWB Chapters are a great resource for each other. Initiatives and sessions during the forum provided lots of opportunities for good discussion, and for Chapter members to learn from others as well as share their own experiences and insights. Attendees commented on the high level of enthusiasm, engagement and excitement, and felt inspired to continue the work in their Chapter. They also reflected on how they enjoyed meeting other like-minded individuals who share the same values and vision. 

Understanding the evolution of EWB’s Youth Outreach program

EWB was fortunate to receive a grant from the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the ‘Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship’ grant program. This grant has been critical in enabling EWB to focus on deeper support and amplification of EWB’s existing School Outreach volunteer network, with a particular focus on empowering women in engineering. The grant not only supported the convening of the Futur-neers Forum. It also enabled EWB to update the content and materials used in the Outreach program. The first of these new modules were unveiled at the Futur-neers Forum.

As part of this refresh, the program has been renamed – changing from ‘School Outreach’ to ‘Youth Outreach’. This name reflects both the existing delivery of the program into primary and secondary students (through innovative and practical hands-on workshops, mapped to the Australian curriculum), other ways we engage with young people, as well as provides a context to activate broader opportunities to share and deliver STEM learning for young people.

Developing a story of self

“The Story of Self provided a really interesting framework to speak on EWB”

Delegates had many opportunities to share their stories

A part of being a Chapter representative is being able to share the story of EWB. And of yourself. These two stories are interconnected – we know that people within our Chapter networks are inspired to join peers that are like-minded and share their own experiences, motivations and passions. A session at the Futur-neers Forum focused on understanding how a story of self is constructed and took delegates through a workshopping process of developing their own story. Several attendees then took to the microphone to share these newly crafted stories back to their peers, and even integrated them into their own presentations later in the Futur-neers Forum program.

Gaining ideas and sharing knowledge

“I feel inspired by how other Chapters run.” “I gained ideas for how I can better lead the Chapter”

Through casual opportunities to network, formalised presentations, and the Sunday ‘chat sessions’ focused purely on delegate connection, attendees had lots of time to share their Chapter insights. This resulted in loads of learning and ideas for new initiatives and better operations. The following were just some of the reflections from delegates:

• “The innovation challenge meeting was really inspiring and gave me a lot of new ideas”
• “I had prompts that made me rethink how I run my programs”
• “I now know how to update the club’s activity plans, grants info etc. And how to seek help to start EOC  events and info sessions”
• “It was great to get to share information about how each chapter runs and I gained many valuable insights into being a better Youth Outreach Coordinator”
• “I loved hearing everyone’s stories and motivations”

What’s next?

“(The event) helped me assess what our Chapter was doing right and what more we must do.”

It’s important to reconnect. To learn. To share. But then what? Delegates were encouraged to reflect on their experiences at the Futur-neers Forum and determine how they would convert these learnings into action at their Chapter level. Here are some of the outtakes of what Chapters delegates determined is next for them:

• Collaboration: more active comms and discussion with other Chapters; communicate with other chapters to get event ideas/opportunities we can translate to our region; Interact with national committee
• Youth Outreach: implement updates to the workshop kits; expand youth outreach capabilities by introducing new workshops
• Fundraising: redefine budgeting and sponsorship procedures; apply for RS Components regioneering grants; organise more funding and partnerships
• Story-telling: Write a ‘write to self’ as it will help engage others to join EWB so they can see what value they will get after joining – I will try to say it at O Week and our events; promote humanitarian engineering as a path in engineering to pursue rather than just being an engineering club
• Improved systems and processes: Use Volaby; organise flow of information so that when people come and go, knowledge will not be lost; rethink my idea of how the Engineering on Country program should be run
• New initiatives: I plan on implementing the high school innovation challenge – inspired by Melbourne Uni; organise hackathon, tiny house project; conduct Regioneering trips
• Recruitment: create new events with the goal of boosting engagement and volunteer recruitment; get more people involved in Regioneering; get more first years on board.
• Non-attendees: Share back all the learnings from this event to the Chapter

Futur-neers Thank you

The Futur-neers Forum was made possible through the Australian Government Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources through the ‘Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship’ grant program and delivered alongside other collaborators, EWB staff and volunteers. 

Friday night welcome event

• Event sponsor: Bentley Systems
• Catering: Nonna Chong
• Music: Daniel Watkins & Justin Vilchez

Futur-neers Forum

• Venue sponsor: Engineers Australia
• Welcome to Country: Wurundjeri Gunnai Kurnai Elder, Uncle Ringo 
• Catering: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre 
• Session Presenters: Aimee Ryan (UWA Chapter), Elise McCaul (UNSW Chapter), Charlotte Radel (UQ Chapter), Nicole Sandow (UTS Chapter), Kevin Ambosta and Chelsea Hayward (Volunteers -EWB Australian Office), Eleanor Loudon, Alison Stoakley, Erin Wicking, Farhiyo Bear, Llawela Forrest and Melanie Audrey (Staff – EWB Australian Office).

Content Capture

• Photographer: Dan A’Vard
• Videographer: Rachel Tierney
• Editor: Tess McArthur-Dowty

Chapters

Thank you to the 45 delegates who represented the following EWB Chapters:

• ACT Region Chapter
• Curtin University Chapter
• NSW Region Chapter
• Macquarie University Chapter
• Monash University Chapter
• Queensland University of Technology Chapter
• RMIT Chapter
• SA Region Chapter
• University of Melbourne Chapter
• University of NSW Chapter
• University of Queensland
• University of Technology Sydney Chapter
• University of Western Australia Chapter
• University of Western Sydney Chapter
• Victoria Region Chapter
• WA Region Chapter

To find your local Chapter, learn more here!

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Name: Shona Fitzgerald
Position: WASH Technical and Strategy Mentor
Location: Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tenure: July 2018-December 2019

What’s your engineering history?
I originally studied a Bachelor of Arts in French and Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. Towards the end of my degrees I thought about the career I wanted to pursue and it became obvious that engineering was a practical way to use that knowledge to transform people’s lives. I then studied a Masters of Engineering in water and wastewater engineering.
Since graduating 6 years ago I have worked for Sydney Water. My roles have been diverse, including preparing for and responding to extreme weather events, optimising energy use and recovery at wastewater treatment plants, supply chain risk management for wastewater services, water and wastewater treatment optimisation and treatment facilities planning.

Alongside my engineering work I’ve also been committed to raising the profile of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issues in Australia and overseas. I have had many great opportunities in this space including participation in the inaugural UNLEASH event in 2017, sitting on the AWA WASH specialist network committee and the 2017 World Toilet Summit program committee. I have also conducted research with the United Nations University Institute for Water Environment and Health in Canada. Through these experiences I’ve worked with people from diverse backgrounds and have been able to apply my engineering skills to the complexity of WASH issues in developing countries.

Why did you take on a Field Professional role with EWB Australia in Cambodia?
My vision of a sustainable world is one that is kind to people and the planet, that is fair and is just. I love that through engineering we can work to create this world. I am passionate about WASH and was fortunate to find a placement through EWB that is a really good fit for my skills and experience. EWB is a people-centred organisation with principles that, I think, ensure sustainable development. My role with EWB has helped me to understand how to apply my skills in a humanitarian setting, to grow my understanding of international development work, to work cross culturally and with marginalised communities. It is a privilege to contribute to improving access to sanitation for people who currently have none and to know how much that can transform their lives.

What does a ‘Day In The Life’ of a Field Professional look like for you?
We have many projects on the go in the Phnom Penh office; they mostly fall into either sector engagement or technology development. When focusing on our sector engagement projects my day will often include meeting up with partners, making new connections, preparing content for knowledge sharing, attending sector events and meetings. When focusing on technology development my day involves literature reviews, ideation workshops, developing design specifications, small-scale and full-scale prototyping in the car park and field trips to speak with the community or to assess the site.

What has been the most rewarding part of the role?
I have had the privilege to be involved in everything from government consultation for policy and national planning to speaking with community members about what they do and don’t like about their toilet. It has been such a great experience to learn and contribute to international development at a national strategic scale and at a household level. The most rewarding part of the role for me has been to work with Cambodian engineers to develop technology – to see how they have grown their critical thinking skills, to see them increase in confidence to ask questions and to challenge ideas, and to see them lead decision-making for technology design.

What is something surprising about the role that you did not anticipate before commencing?
I have been surprised by how much input I would have into key decisions being made in the sector and how much weight my input and advice would have. The privilege that comes from being from a developed country with the opportunity for an excellent education means that people do not necessarily question the advice that I give. I’ve learned to be cautious with the advice I give and be better at guiding people through the logic of decision-making to help them create their own informed opinion.

What would you say to someone considering applying to become a Field Professional?
Working in-country is so valuable to grow your skills and experience in how to contribute to humanitarian engineering. The skills you will gain will make you a more rounded professional and will be relevant to any work you do in the future – whether in developed or developing countries. You will have the joy of living in a different culture and being challenged to be open-minded and adaptable. There are few roles that offer such an opportunity to learn about the social complexities and challenges of humanitarian engineering, to learn about yourself and be challenged to adapt to a different world, to experience the generosity of people who have little and to be grateful for the many things that we have in Australia.

FIELD PROFESSIONAL PLACEMENTS FOR DEPLOYMENT IN NOVEMBER 2019 ARE NOW OPEN! Find out more.

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The learning and collaboration started months prior to the event, with each delegate grappling with pre-work by exploring questions such as; What is culture? How does this shape you as a person? What is development in Australia; and What are your personal theories of change?

Change self to change the world?

On Day 1, EoC KH chair, Angie Rozali, had us diving deep into a Theory of Change workshop, exploring the complexity of the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander context and the mechanisms we might personally use to promote change in our world. Do you – Change self to change the world? Use political advocacy? Direct action? With our minds stretched, we headed off to the Aboriginal Tent Embassy for an afternoon of rich conversation and story sharing with those who had gathered there for the ‘Invasion Day/Australia Day weekend’.

Intersections and power structures

Days 2 and 3 involved an in-depth look at how EWB Australia approaches partnerships. We also disussed and ideated  on how we might, in our respective Knowledge Hubs, create a welcoming environment for members whilst being cognisant of intersections and power structures. Workshops were interspersed with region planning sessions for the year to come. We were fortunate enough to have a Welcome to Country by Mr Warren Daley, followed by a yarn touching on Warren’s knowledge of Ngunnawal country and an opportunity for us to ask questions about the topics we had been exploring over the weekend.

Cultivating cultural competency

Over the next six months regional EoC focus groups are working toward contributing to EWB Australia’s EoC strategy, and building the cultural competency of members – vital for us to effectively engage in EoC now and into the future. I would love to live in a world where all engineers seek to understand and continually learn about context and culture of the people on who’s land we live and work. That is exactly what is happening in the EoC KH.

Want to get involved?
Contact your local EoC focus group, look up the history of the country on which you live today, and whilst you’re at it… drop past a book shop to pick up a copy of Bruce Pascoe’s “Dark Emu” and learn about the original engineers of Australia!

Thank you to the EoC KH leaders who designed and led this extraordinary journey; Angie Rozali (EoC KH Chair), Leon Ross (NSW EoC Focus Group Co-coordinator), Vikram Sondergaard (ACT chapter), Anna Cain (Volunteer Outreach Lead) and Sam Palmer (ACT chapter).

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At the beginning of 2019, representatives from each focus group travelled to Canberra for the ‘EoC Knowledge Hub Retreat’. Building on the momentum of this deep weekend of reflection, training and planning, the focus groups have been active in facilitating learning opportunities for the broader EWB Australia network.

In May, cultural awareness and learning were the key focus. Queensland, New South Wales focus groups organised Cultural Awareness training sessions, facilitated by Tom Kirk, and attended by 40 EWB Chapter executives and volunteers (60 % students, 53 % female identifying). Many of the attendees participated as a pre-requisite to delivering Indigenous-tailored content as part of EWB Australia’s School Outreach program. The training was run as a yarn, with Tom encouraging free flowing of questions and discussion. Conversations explored ‘what is culture?’, an outline of conventional issues, themes and histories in Torres Strait Islander Australia and communities, and an exploration of high and low context ways of thinking and operating.

It was incredibly insightful, engaging and eye opening, with quite confronting undertones. QLD Training Attendee

After the finale role playing exercise explained above some participants stated they felt “deeply shameful” for the early settelers actions and experienced increased empathy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. QLD Training Attendee

The EoC focus groups have also been active in delivering:

• Cultural walks – a Birrarung Wilam Guided Walk provided an opportunity to learn about history and culture of Aboriginal Peoples of the Kulin Nation and consider the way engineering supports and inhibits cultural expression
• Cultural competency coursework – Wrap up of NSW Focus Group Aboriginal Sydney MOOC- This course explores some of the key themes and capabilities of cultural competence by exploring Aboriginal experiences and narratives of Sydney. The focus group have been completing this as a team over the last few months.
• Strategic workshops – with Indigenous Workplace Consultants to provide input into the EWB Australia EoC Strategy
• Localised contextual analysis – reviewing issues and opportunities relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in local EoC focus group areas, to assist in focusing their local activities and informing EWB’s EoC broader program.

The EOC Knowledge Hub and it’s supporting local focus groups are a potent example of how our committed volunteer network collaborates to contribute to meaningful, impactful change. Want to be a part of our EoC commitment? Contact Allan Soo, Secretary, EoC Knowledge Hubs. 

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What is a Technical Knowledge Hub?
Our Technical Knowledge Hubs are a network of people with a common passion for a theme central to EWB of creating social value through engineering. These Hubs build organisational knowledge by learning from EWB’s own experiences and from external sources. This knowledge is shared to benefit EWB Australia’s activities, individuals and external partners in order to deepen and broaden our impact.

What do volunteers do at a Knowledge Hub?
As a part of our Knowledge Hubs, volunteers have the opportunity to work across four exciting programs: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Energy, Shelter, Digital and Infrastructure across Australia.

Meet our Volunteers

Name: Rafael
Location: Perth
Time volunteering with EWB: 1 Year
Volunteer role: Technical Knowledge Hub Co-ordinator

Rafael graduated as a civil engineer in Italy, with a Bachelor and master’s degree at the University of Perugia. He then completed his Ph.D. and a two-year decorate at the University of Western Australia. Rafael is providing geotechnical engineering consulting at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, and outside of work, he is passionate about running and getting active in the outdoors.

Rafael joined our WA Energy Hub, where he was involved in some pretty exciting work -designing and making a model wind turbine to depict the way electricity can be generated using renewable sources. He has been recently been appointed to the role of National Technical Knowledge Hub Co-ordinator to assist in expanding Technical Knowledge Hubs across Australia. He believes EWB perfectly combines his technical skills and his desire to make a difference in the sector.

Tip for volunteers: “Join a hub in your city, don’t think too much about which one. And don’t feel like you may not have the right skills – your willingness to do good is the most valuable skill you have!”

Name: Danielle
Location: Sydney
Time volunteering with EWB: 1 Year
Volunteer role: Technical Knowledge Hub Co-ordinator

Danielle graduated as a Chemical Engineer and went into the process and product development for an innovative non-woven (material) manufacturing company in Melbourne. After she graduated, Danielle moved to Sydney to work in Product Management for a mining cable manufacturer while pursuing an MBA. Currently, she is a consultant working with Sydney Trains.

Danielle was always keen to work with EWB. She signed up as a member and started looking for ways to actively volunteer.

Tip for volunteers: “Sign up to be a member to gain access to what’s happening and then decide where you would most like to slot into this.”

Our volunteers tell us that volunteering is a meaningful way to give back, a great way to meet super enthusiastic people all around Australia, and be a part of a movement with people who share a similar vision of the world.

Find out more about our Technical Knowledge Hubs, email technicalkhs@ewb.org.au.

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Pro bono services provided by ARUP: concept and detailed designs for a new raw water intake and treatment system for the Yintingga Aboriginal Corporation (YAC) to improve the safety and reliability of the Port Stewart community water supply.

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