The Village Aid Project at Fort Lewis College is a student-centered, humanitarian organization whose mission is to partner with communities in the developing world to find sustainable solutions to their critical engineering problems. In addition, we are training a new generation of students who understand the need for sustainable systems and who value the concept of responsible global citizenship.
Groups of students under the supervision of faculty and professional partners work on the projects. By involving students in every step of the process, the program maximizes their learning and awareness of the social, economic, environmental, political, ethical, and cultural impacts of engineering projects. Community partners are involved as professional mentors and in other capacities. Each year thousands of hours are volunteered to complete our projects.
Students have a unique opportunity to work on real projects and learn about different cultures. This is an invaluable educational experience that is preparing students to be responsible citizens. Through professional mentors and other local volunteers, our goal is to make this a community effort with opportunities for anyone who is interested in helping.
We raise all of the funds to pay for the program costs which are about $20,000 for each village. We are an all-volunteer organization with less than 1% in overhead costs. Please consider supporting our work!
