EWB school outreach in Torres Straight. Photo by Jeff McAllister.

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Australia’s School Outreach workshops are a fun and interactive way for school students to discover more about engineering. You’ll learn about how engineers can help create better lives for people around the world through a number of hands-on activities. This afternoon event will be divided into two primary activities: the Road to Better Health workshop and the Emergency Maternal Supply Delivery activity.

In the Road to Better Health workshop students will learn about the importance of designing and planning a road to ensure safety and convenience of its users, particularly vulnerable members of the community such as girls and women. Students will work in groups to develop a proposal for a road in Timor-Leste for women to access maternal health care, based on liaison with different stakeholders and subject matter experts. Students will gain experience working in multi-disciplinary teams and managing a project with time and resource constraints.

In the Emergency Maternal Supply Delivery activity students will learn about mechanical engineering principals as they build a rubber-band-powered aid cart to deliver emergency maternity supplies for women in remote communities in Timor-Leste. Students will work in groups to choose appropriate materials to build a robust and sustainable cart to navigate through a challenging terrain. Students will gain experience working in teams on a project with time and resource constraints.

This event is part of the MPavilion STEM program in partnership with Office for Women.