Experiential Service Learning: Applying Engineering Skills and Knowledge in the Dominican Republic

Service-learning projects can make a positive impact on an engineering curriculum by providing students with valuable hands-on experiences that incorporate aspects of various engineering disciplines.Carrying on a years-long tradition, Mercer University students spent three weeks in a rural area of the Dominican Republic where they performed projects related to civil, environmental, and industrial engineering.Working with local water council representatives, students were able to hear first-hand the challenges rural communities have in accessing clean drinking water.They then participated in the construction of an aqueduct system to provide drinking water to these underserved communities.They learned how to test the drinking water for contaminants such as nitrates and E. coli, which led to training locals on water testing.Students surveyed community members to evaluate community attitudes toward disability, interviewed people with disabilities or their caregivers to understand their needs, and investigated opportunities to improve accessibility in this rural community.For some students, the experience left them with a desire to continue their involvement, and several have committed to come together to finish a ramp design to improve accessibility in a facility for our in-country sponsor.Through course evaluations, all students indicated that the experience was a valuable, life-changing experience, which greatly enhanced their engineering education.