Proceedings »
Final Paper
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Clemson Engineers for Developing Countries (CEDC) is a student-driven service-oriented program whose mission is to provide sustainable, engineered solutions to communities in the developing world. One of the most successful features of CEDC, from both undergraduate education and community development perspectives, is the structured and innovative internship experience. In addition to student participation in design, planning, and project implementation, a few students are selected annually for an internship in the host community where they also have the opportunity to enhance their technical and professional skills while engaging with a different culture. In CEDC’s current internship program, Clemson engineering students live in rural Haiti for 6-12 months while designing and implementing infrastructure projects in the surrounding communities. The paper includes lessons learned and suggestions for program replication to establish similar experiences at other academic institutions, including partnering with NGOs in developing countries and establishing a study abroad framework for students.
Author(s):
Aaron Gordon
Glenn Department of Civil Engineering
Clemson University
United States
Jeffery Plumblee
Engineering & Science Education
Clemson University
United States
Claire Dancz
Engineering & Science Education
Clemson University
United States