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“What we are bringing to Ek'Balam won't just last for the duration of our stay or even until we finish our job. Our goal is to help educate the villagers about sustainable practices so they can continue applying what we’ve taught them for the rest of their lives. Sustainability is the key to a brighter future and we hope that what we build and teach can make life healthier, cleaner and better for all of Ek’Balam’s villagers” -- Clay Tilton '18, Civil Engineering
Your donation supports the club members of the RPI Chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World: Mexico who travel to Ek’Balam, a Mayan village in Yucatan, Mexico, to construct solar water heaters for the villagers to use. These heaters are sustainable solutions using local materials and tools to provide hot water to the villagers.
Donating to Engineers for a Sustainable World: Mexico not only improves the lives of the villagers in Ek’Balam by providing them with a sustainable way to access hot water, but it also pushes students to be inventive, more culturally rounded, and active with their engineering skills on a global scale.
Your gift supports sustainable engineering and the opportunity for Rensselaer students to make a difference in the world. This will help broaden students' experiences with other cultures and help them realize the need for sustainability on a global scale. Not only do the villagers gain hot water for showers and cooking, but the club members can apply principles they learn in class such as thermal fluids and civil engineering processes. Both benefit in invaluable ways. We’re doing what Rensselaer students aim to do -- change the world!
RPI Engineers for a Sustainable World was founded in 2005 and has been sending club members to Ek' Balam, Mexico annually since July 2011. Since then, club members have helped build a sustainable community house, installed solar panels near community houses, and constructed three solar water heaters. We will continue to build the water heaters as well as teach the villagers how to do it for themselves. For more information, please visit the RPI Engineers for a Sustainable World website.
