Engineers Without Borders - Kansas City

Engineers Without Borders - USA (EWB-USA) is a non-profit humanitarian organization established to partner with developing communities worldwide in order to improve their quality of life. This partnership involves the implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while involving and training internationally responsible engineers and engineering students. EWB-USA currently has over 180 student and professional chapters working on over 170 projects in 41 countries.

The activities of EWB-USA range from the construction of sustainable systems that developing communities can own and operate without external assistance, to empowering such communities by enhancing local, technical, managerial, and entrepreneurial skills. These projects are initiated by, and completed with, contributions from the host community working with our project teams.

The Kansas City Professional Chapter (EWB-KC) chapter of EWB-USA was formed in August of 2006 and includes professionals from throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. The group is mostly composed of many different disciplines of engineers, scientists, technicians, however membership is open to all. The projects we work on have solutions that are only minimally technical in nature, so we encourage all non-engineers to join. We need your help!

EWB-KC members are involved in international projects in the Dominican Republic and Haiti in addition to working on local projects in the Kansas City area.

EWB-KC has formed three committees; a Membership Committee, a Fundraising Committee, and a Technical Advisory Committee (TAC). For more information, please join our mailing list by emailing: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to keep up-to-date on chapter happenings or visit an upcoming meeting or event. Also, visit the website calendar for upcoming meetings. Additionally, EWB-KC strives to provide support and technical mentors for surrounding EWB student chapters working on their own projects. Currently EWB-KC is working with the University of Missouri (Mizzou), University of Missouri Science & Technology (Rolla), University of Kansas, and Kansas State University.

EWB-KC Technical Advisory Committee (TAC): The TAC was formed as essentially EWB-KC's international project team. The group meets every 2-3 weeks to discuss status and screen / plan for the various international projects EWB-KC undertakes. For more info email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it All our welcome to attend the ongoing TAC meetings. Check the website calandar for up-to-date listings.

EWB-KC is currently working on an international project in the La Romana area of the Dominican Republic (DR). A six member team traveled to Batey Lima in the DR in March of 2007 for an initial assessment and data collection trip. Nine EWB-KC members returned to Batey Lima in November of 2007 to install Biosand drinking water filters, perform drainage improvements to reduce flooding, and perform hygiene education activities.

In April of 2008, EWB-KC was approved for a renewable energy project in Haiti in partnership with Healthy Mothers – Healthy Babies (HMHB) (http://www.hm-hb.org/), based out of Kansas City. HMHB operates Maison de Naissance (MN), a free birthing home in Haiti.

The TAC continues to evaluate potential projects that match well with our capabilities and resources. We also have supported project applications to EWB-USA for projects that we believe would be good projects but for which EWB-KC may not be well equipped to perform.

For more information, and pictures of Maison de Naissance, visit here. If you are interested in learning more about the project or getting involved, please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

EWB-USA is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation created under the laws of the State of Colorado, USA. EWB-USA was created in Fall 2000. EWB-USA is also a member of the Engineers Without Borders - International network.