Experiential Tour - Ecuador Engineering Trip
In March of 2024, a group of 12 engineering students and two engineering faculty from Anderson University partnered with L&LI to participate in an Experiential Tour to Misahaullí, Ecuador to partner with Jungle Kids for Christ to develop a backup water supply system.
At present, ACA experiences intermittent water outages that causes the school to be canceled for several days a few times a year. While on campus, Anderson students collected information to assess four alternative backup water supply systems, including a new cistern, a well, a rainwater collection system, and a dam of a natural spring. Students also assessed options to provide a backup power supply to the water system.
Students also met with local ministry leaders and with a local engineer to clarify important criteria, determine criteria weights, and identify appropriate and available technology for the school’s context. Students completed a topographical survey of the site, including important information about piping and electrical systems on-site.
The work completed on-site will allow students to prepare a preliminary design document with detailed information about system alternatives. From this preliminary design, our local ministry partners will choose one or a combination of alternatives, and the students will complete a detailed critical design step with drawings and specifications for the construction of the final system.
This trip provided students with an amazing opportunity to apply engineering processes and tools to a real-world project, work with external clients, and grow in cross-cultural understanding. Most importantly, students were able to glorify God in their work and to be the hands and feet of Jesus as they loved their neighbor as themselves.
A reflection by:
Benjamin D. McPheron, Ph.D.
Chair, Physical Sciences & Engineering
Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering
Faculty, are you interested in teaching your course abroad in a setting that perfectly complements your course material? With our Experiential Tours department, your team receives all logistics, a dedicated team host, and detailed itineraries to ensure relevant hands-on learning.
Using a faith-based approach, we work on all in-land logistics so you don’t have to, giving you the autonomy to teach your course abroad and more time to invest in your students. Having led countless study tours around the globe, we desire to take your course cross-culturally.
Visit our Experiential Tours page to learn more and view sample itineraries.