Frequently Asked Questions
Overall
1. What is ESW?
2. What sort of projects does ESW do?
3. How is ESW separate from Engineers Without Borders?
Membership
1. How do I become an ESW member?
2. What does it cost to be an ESW member?
3. Why join ESW?
Projects & Chapters
1. How do I get involved in a SEED project?
2. How do I start a chapter?
3. Does ESW have professional chapters?
Donations & Funding
1. Where does ESW receive its funding?
2. How can individuals make a contribution to ESW?
Overall
> What is ESW?
ESW stands for Engineers for a Sustainable World. We're a growing collection of technically-minded people looking to make the world a better place. Most of ESW's impact comes from projects done by its 24+ college-based chapters. In many ways, ESW-National's purpose is to connect those chapters, build a community for all members to interact, learn, and share project ideas, and bring in funding and other connections to help projects succeed.
> What sort of projects does ESW do?
Our projects are as diverse as our chapters. While in the early days we focused more on international projects - and many of our chapters still do - today we have a great balance between international work and a growing set of domestic and on-campus projects. While we think a sustainable world necessarily means that everyone in developing nations needs access to water, energy, and sanitation, we also see sustainability as a problem of improving our own communities - it's not only about bringing other countries up, its about reducing our own (much larger) impacts. To that end, while we have chapters designing biodigesters and solar powered refrigerators, we also have chapters helping to educate local schools on stormwater management, working with local towns to redesign old buildings, and running on-campus energy competitions to teach students about the need for reduction and efficiency. For more on our projects, see our chapter directory!
> How is ESW separate from Engineers without Borders (EWB)?
ESW and EWB were founded around the same time, and both are working on addressing the needs of people in developing nations. However, ESW also has a large number of chapters working here at home, in addition to chapters working abroad. Second, we aim for building communities and helping with education as much as we emphasize projects - there's a lot of information that needs to be available, and many people see communities as one of the keys to actually creating a sustainable world. Third, our chapters are significantly more autonomous - they're free to choose their own projects, with suggestions and opportunities from ESW-National. This gives chapters the ability to work on as many projects as they have people for, and also means that ESW-National doesn't have to have a huge staff - we're a digital National Team, something we find more sustainable both fiscally and environmentally.
Membership
> How do I become an ESW member?
Becoming an ESW member is quick, simple and worthwhile! See Join ESW.
> What does it cost to be an ESW member?
There are two levels of membership:
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Full Professional Member ($45 per year)
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Full Student Member ($10 per year)
Please click here to learn more about ESW membership and its benefits.
> Why join ESW?
There are many benefits to ESW membership:
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Get involved in projects at your university where you can personally make a positive impact on the world.
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Be part of a movement to infuse sustainability knowledge into engineering education and practice.
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Network with 1000+ other ESW members, from engineering students to educators to practicing professionals.
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Attend informative events such as the ESW Annual National Conference, speakers and workshops.
To see a full list of membership benefits, please click here.
Chapters & Projects
> How can I get involved in a SEED project?
See SEED Program.
> How do I start a chapter?
See Start a Chapter.
> Does ESW have Professional chapters?
ESW does not currently have professional chapters, but this may change in the future. Interested individuals can currently join ESW as Professional Members and associate with a particular collegiate campus. In addition, we're always looking for more webinar speakers - if you work in an area that might interest our members, let us know!
Donations & Funding
> Where does ESW receive its funding?
ESW receives support from a variety of sources including corporate sponsorships and partnerships, membership dues, and individual donations.
> How can individuals make a donation to ESW?
ESW exists with the support of individual contributions. Individuals can donate online through our website or make a donation directly to a collegiate chapter or for a particular chapter project. Contact and project information for each chapter can be found here.
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