Ocean Sustainability and Climate Change Education for Engineers
Project Details
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The primary objective is to increase climate change and ocean sustainability literacy among engineering students and engineering professionals in Canada. This project seeks to promote the integration of sustainability principles into engineering education and make it a core aspect of engineering practice. In the long term, the goal of this project is to foster awareness and ability to design and implement environmentally responsible infrastructure, software, hardware, and devices.
Project Description
My project aims to create educational modules and content focused on climate change and ocean sustainability for engineering students. These modules will be designed to be available for integration into engineering curricula, use by engineering students and professionals, and use by anyone interested in climate change and ocean sustainability education. The goal of this project is to increase awareness and education surrounding climate change and ocean sustainability in engineering education to fill a current gap that exists. The project involves the creation of content, engaging with professors and students to review and improve the content, and advocating to Engineers Canada to introduce sustainability education to be more widely accessible for students and licensed professional engineers in Canada. To date, I’ve engaged with 56 people who have contributed their knowledge, insight and time into this project.
This project has been created in commemoration of the lives of all the victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, including two Ocean Bridge ambassadors, Danielle Moore and Micah Messent. We aspire to carry on their legacy and commitment to making the world a better place by creating long-lasting impacts with a firm commitment to driving positive change for the environment and our ocean. We will never forget the light that Danielle and Micah brought to the world and will continue to keep them in our hearts. To learn more about these two amazing people, please visit: Honouring Danielle and Micah – Ocean Wise. This work is partially funded by the Commemoration Fund for Victims of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 Tragedy.
What was your biggest challenge?
My biggest challenge was attempting to move my project forward at a fast pace in a relatively slow-moving sector. As engineering is a large field, it can be slow to change, especially to change focused on sustainability and climate action, so it was a challenge to build a compelling case for sustainability education among professional engineers and engineering students. I navigated this by focusing on genuine community engagement, consulting as many engaged members of the community as possible, and leaning on supports from people already interested in this work.
What was your most valuable takeaway?
My most valuable takeaway was learning how to engage with the community in a meaningful, collaborative, and ongoing way. I learned the importance of getting diverse perspectives, and from there, how to welcome, honour, and amplify those voices. It was incredibly rewarding to receive feedback from the community on my project and implement ideas from others into the project.
