University Program
Our University Program empowers students to apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges, building bridges and water systems that change lives. Along the way, students grow into globally competent leaders with skills in teamwork, cross-cultural collaboration, and ethical engineering. Join us in forging the next generation of global changemakers.
About The University Program
EIA’s University Program empowers students from around the world to convert skills they learn in the classroom into real-world impact in the field. Guided by our best-in-class training programs, students take on meaningful roles in the design and construction of essential infrastructure like footbridges and WASH projects.
The program follows a year-long process modeled after professional engineering projects. Students develop designs, prepare material and cost estimates, create construction schedules, and prepare risk mitigation plans - all under the guidance of our experienced mentors and staff.
During their academic break, students then travel to live and work alongside the partner community, bringing their designs to life on the ground. This immersive experience blends technical rigor with cultural exchange, offering opportunities few classrooms can provide.
Beyond engineering skills, students gain what every global changemaker needs: teamwork, leadership, communication, and cross-cultural competence. They return as stronger collaborators, creative problem-solvers, and compassionate professionals - ready to make an impact wherever their careers take them.
University Program Timeline
Building Bridges
Watch our students and staff explain how our Bridge Program is more than construction - it’s connection. Students share about gaining hands-on experience designing and building pedestrian footbridges while living and working alongside the communities who will use them for generations to come. Together, they create safe access to opportunity and build bonds that last far beyond the project.
Building WASH
Watch this video created by our Cornell students as they work side by side with the community to bring safe water to the Matfuntini Primary School in Eswatini. From digging trenches and threading pipes to raising a tank and installing solar power, our WASH projects blend engineering rigor with teamwork and cultural exchange. What begins as a technical project becomes something more - a shared achievement that improves health, strengthens learning, and inspires everyone involved.
Building Community
Watch this video created by our students at Georgia Tech, Delaware, and Eastern Mennonite as they discover that building a bridge is only part of the story. By living, working, and celebrating alongside the partner community, they forge connections that turn a construction project into the journey of a lifetime. Meals are shared, dances are danced, and friendships are forged - as strong as the bridge itself. This is where cultural exchange meets collaboration - showing that true impact comes not just from what we construct, but from the bonds we build along the way.
Student Testimonials
University Partners
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Turn learning into lasting impact.
EIA’s University Program transforms engineering education into global change. Students design and build real projects that connect communities to health, education, and opportunity - while growing as professionals and leaders. With mentorship, cultural exchange, and hands-on experience, this is service learning at its most meaningful.
Join the next generation of global changemakers.