Call for Environmental Projects

IEEE recognizes that climate change is a global crisis and is committed to helping combat and mitigate the effects of climate change through pragmatic and accessible technical solutions and providing engineers and technologists with a neutral space for discussion and action.

EPICS in IEEE has continued this commitment by supporting a call for Environmental focused service-learning projects. Students all over the world will have the opportunity to address the environment and climate change technological needs of local non-profit organizations. Additionally, the students will come away with critical knowledge to help them succeed in their future engineering careers.

Selected projects can receive up to $10,000 USD as well as mentorship and resources to help them succeed.

Some teams are working through an engineering class curriculum or a senior design project while others are utilizing their IEEE clubs on campus to implement these projects. With a shared mission of combating climate change and making a local impact, these students have shown their passion and perseverance through these projects. Additionally, the students have come away with critical knowledge to help them succeed in their future engineering careers. Perhaps the most valuable learning experience was the opportunity to work across multidisciplinary teams and engage in practical activities to apply what is being taught inside the classroom. According to the student survey, 93.6% of the respondents felt that their EPICS in IEEE project contributed to their development of teamwork skills. The students partnered with non-profit organizations and learned how to develop technology that is making real-world, tangible impacts.

The EPICS in IEEE committee has been supporting these teams throughout the year through quarterly checks as well as mentor assignments. This has ensured that the project teams felt supported and given the tools to successfully launch their projects. In our original call for proposals, the total amount awarded in project grants was $57,761.20. Three of the ten projects received phase two funding for a total of $4,705.00. Resulting in a total of $62,466.20 given out in funding.

The EPICS in IEEE Environmental Competition has been notably fulfilling—serving as one way to work towards the IEEE mission of fostering technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. Without the support of both the United Engineering Foundation and the IEEE Foundation, the committee would not have been able to support so many impactful projects.