Education Partnerships
Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering
Community Service Learning Work Terms
Community Service Learning Work Terms
Community Service Learning (CSL) Work provides a unique opportunity to supply students with an experience that will enable them to grow their skills and expertise as engineers, and also use their skill set to work with underfunded and not-for-profit organizations throughout the community. MUN students now have the opportunity to take an engineering work term paired with a local school, church, community centre, or non-profit. They can spend the semester working on various initiatives, helping to improve efficiency and infrastructure and becoming more involved with the community. Some of these CSL Work Terms are highlighted below.
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MUN Botanical Garden/Geo Centre
The MUN Botanical Garden cultivates research, teaching, learning and public engagement. It is a sustainable centre that puts nature first; learning and sharing knowledge that protecting plants and habitats is key to good stewardship and conservation and vital for the health of the community. The Geo Centre is a geological interpretation centre which houses exhibits on geology, oil and gas exploration, natural resources, space exploration, and the Titanic disaster. In 2021, three students completed work terms at these MUN facilities. Parishat Tanakoor designed a proposal to build a geodesic dome to use as a plant and butterfly exhibit for the Botanical Gardens. Zachary Bennett designed new displays and created drawings/structures to enhance the Garden's Merry and Bright light festival. Liam Lawlor worked with the Climate Collective to brainstorm ideas for outreach kits while also doing the preliminary planning for a new Makerspace at the MUN Johnson Geo Centre. |
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Community Centre Alliance (CCA)
The St. John's CCA needed to identify accessibility issues and develop solutions. Engineering students used universal design principles to prepare drawings and cost estimates to assist in the preparation of funding applications to improve accessibility, safety and security. As part of the FFF Youth in Stem Initiative, student engineers are also tutoring youth and creating STEM learning activities. They are assisting with upgrading computer equipment and creating 3D printing learning centres. They are solving COVID related challenges such as setting up a drive-in movie theatre and assisting in preparing the centres to operate safely and efficiently as flu-shot clinics. The 2020 students included Nicholas Hale, Laughter Afolabi, Camden Mercer and Nibras Biramas. The 2021 students included Benjamin Bertrand, Kareem Zaire and Gurzint Singh. The 2022 students included Nick Shang Lai, Mendrika Kenny Rambolamanana and Akubueze Chidimma Sandra. |
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Echo Pond Environmental Education Centre
The Echo Pond Environmental Education Centre (EPEEC) is a residential camp that hosts children as they learn about the environment and build an understanding of their role in the environmental health of the wider world. The Centre is remotely located in the boreal forest on the Avalon Peninsula and was formerly known as the Brother Brennan Centre. FFF supports EPEEC's goal for the Centre to produce zero greenhouse gas emissions. During the Spring of 2020, Garnet Edinger worked at EPEEC and helped to design and project manage the installation of alternative energy systems including windmills, solar panels and a solar-powered water heater. He assisted with site preparation for installation of a new external wood-fired boiler and additional solar panel systems. He supervised and assisted with the construction of a drying room and outdoor shower facility. Garnet worked under the direction and mentorship of Don Spencer, mechanical engineer and volunteer. |
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Government House Greenhouse Revitalization
Jeremy Gates and Maria Outerbridge worked as a team in the fall of 2020 to design solutions for revitalizing an existing greenhouse situated on the property of Government House in St. John’s. The solutions involved consultations with community stakeholders to ensure the design is inclusive, sustainable and helps to support food security goals. They recommended alternative energy solutions, produced conceptual layouts, and completed a drawing package and implementation report. Jeremy had some previous work terms in structural analysis and this was his final work term before graduating with his Civil Engineering Class of 2021. Maria worked on the mechanical and electrical systems for the project. Read more about this pandemic project and watch the video in Working together, apart. |
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Tetra Society
The Tetra Society’s focus is to find solutions to environmental barriers faced by people with disabilities. While these environmental barriers are a part of a person’s journey, Tetra solutions help foster greater independence, quality of life, and inclusion. Tetra students work with clients to design and build assistive devices that are custom-made for the individual – these are devices that are either not available commercially or cost-prohibitive. In 2021, workterms where provided for John Lidstone, Owen Cake-Verheydan, Joshua Baker and Omer Mohammad. John and Owen were involved with four projects: a hair tie assist, sailing assist/remote sailing project, modifying a walker and modifying/altering a piano cart with a hover board for use in a senior's centre. Josh and Omer worked on three projects: they continued to update the motorized piano cart for the senior's centre, modified a bicycle for a child with cerebral palsy, and designed an archery shooting table for a client's wheelchair. Read more about the start of the piano cart project in Concept to Solution.
The Tetra Society’s focus is to find solutions to environmental barriers faced by people with disabilities. While these environmental barriers are a part of a person’s journey, Tetra solutions help foster greater independence, quality of life, and inclusion. Tetra students work with clients to design and build assistive devices that are custom-made for the individual – these are devices that are either not available commercially or cost-prohibitive. In 2021, workterms where provided for John Lidstone, Owen Cake-Verheydan, Joshua Baker and Omer Mohammad. John and Owen were involved with four projects: a hair tie assist, sailing assist/remote sailing project, modifying a walker and modifying/altering a piano cart with a hover board for use in a senior's centre. Josh and Omer worked on three projects: they continued to update the motorized piano cart for the senior's centre, modified a bicycle for a child with cerebral palsy, and designed an archery shooting table for a client's wheelchair. Read more about the start of the piano cart project in Concept to Solution.
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NL Eats
NL Eats is a social enterprise focused on battling food insecurity in Newfoundland through community, culture and cuisine. One of the co-founders of NL Eats is Saif Ahmed, a 2020 graduate of Memorial’s Engineering Program. Their goal is to provide long-term, community-wide strategies that address the core causes of food insecurity. NL Eats has had many students working with them in 2020 and 2021 – five in the Spring and five in Fall. Students worked in positions including web design, coding, data analysis and a web application to assist with food bank inventory management. Some students have designed hydroponic systems to use within schools, along with Community Outreach programming. The 2020 students included Amr Mohamed, Sydney Newton, Yokuto Ishi, Sushmita Bijoy Krishna, Aidan Clark, Mikayla Downey, Blake Williams, Julian Pickett, Hongfei Zhang and Libin Wen. The 2021 students included Yokuto Ishii, Sydney Newton, Sean Drover, William Guaman Davila, Stefan Boon-Petersen, Ian Grew, Erin Markova, Charles Smith, Katelyn Martin and Neelsh Goolaub. |
Town of Pouch Cove
The Town of Pouch Cove is a small community on the Avalon Peninsula, about a 30 minute drive from St. John’s. In 2021, Emma Boyce’s internship was primarily involved in the Road Reservation project, with the aim of assisting with traffic flow, snow clearing and road maintenance by providing digitized copies of all properties in the town. Emma was also involved in developing QGIS mapping to aid emergency response services in rural areas, and in creating designs and sketches to help towns with funding applications and creating a predictive model for water system maintenance.
The Town of Pouch Cove is a small community on the Avalon Peninsula, about a 30 minute drive from St. John’s. In 2021, Emma Boyce’s internship was primarily involved in the Road Reservation project, with the aim of assisting with traffic flow, snow clearing and road maintenance by providing digitized copies of all properties in the town. Emma was also involved in developing QGIS mapping to aid emergency response services in rural areas, and in creating designs and sketches to help towns with funding applications and creating a predictive model for water system maintenance.
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Rural Infrastructure Outreach
Ryan Liu and Elyssa Slauenwhite worked as a team in the Winter of 2020 to establish a multi-disciplinary group that could provide assistance to rural communities. Ryan and Elyssa researched the areas requiring assistance and developed a plan to create a volunteer group of students to provide rural outreach services. So far, the group has had 7 more students in the 2020 Spring and Fall semesters designing infrastructure such as accessibility ramps and recreational trails. Students also digitized municipal information for emergency response services in rural areas, created designs and sketches to help towns with funding applications and created a predicative model for water system maintenance. Fall 2020 work term students were Stephanie Cater and Marc Case. Stephanie is a Term 5 Mechanical Engineering student who gained a greater appreciation for the work that can be done in small municipalities to grow them into more developed communities. This was Marc's final work term as he graduated with his Civil Engineering Class in 2021. |
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Birch Brook Nordic Ski Club
The Birch Brook Nordic Ski Club is a volunteer operated, non-profit ski club, located just outside the community of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador. The club includes both cross-country ski trails and snowshoe trails. In 2021, Brandon Loveless spent his work term developing GPS files of all trails, improving safety for all those using the trails and at the same time developing a project for children to learn about trail navigation. Brandon also determined a new route for an adventure trail, updated trail schematics for all club trails, and also constructed a new website that allows for online payments. All of these tasks improved the quality of the community experience when visiting the ski club.
The Birch Brook Nordic Ski Club is a volunteer operated, non-profit ski club, located just outside the community of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador. The club includes both cross-country ski trails and snowshoe trails. In 2021, Brandon Loveless spent his work term developing GPS files of all trails, improving safety for all those using the trails and at the same time developing a project for children to learn about trail navigation. Brandon also determined a new route for an adventure trail, updated trail schematics for all club trails, and also constructed a new website that allows for online payments. All of these tasks improved the quality of the community experience when visiting the ski club.
Global NL
Global NL is a group dedicated to connecting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians working both home and abroad in the tech sector to strengthen the global community and help those outside the sector make inroads. Their mission is also to facilitate mentorship amongst members and recognize the success of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians doing incredible things all over the world. Workterms where provided for Dylan Matthews in 2020 and for Abdullah Abul Hossein, Shannon Finn and Sanad Alwerfali in 2021. As Digital Platform Interns they were responsible for the creation and implementation of tools to enhance the online presences of alumni interactions through the Global NL platform and to increase interaction between alumni expat members all over the world. They maintained the member database and administered the Global NL online workspace implementing tools to manage social media channels, updating and upgrading social media postings, and generating social media content. They identified and logged operational issues and determined appropriate responses and assisted with event coordination.
Global NL is a group dedicated to connecting Newfoundlanders and Labradorians working both home and abroad in the tech sector to strengthen the global community and help those outside the sector make inroads. Their mission is also to facilitate mentorship amongst members and recognize the success of Newfoundlanders and Labradorians doing incredible things all over the world. Workterms where provided for Dylan Matthews in 2020 and for Abdullah Abul Hossein, Shannon Finn and Sanad Alwerfali in 2021. As Digital Platform Interns they were responsible for the creation and implementation of tools to enhance the online presences of alumni interactions through the Global NL platform and to increase interaction between alumni expat members all over the world. They maintained the member database and administered the Global NL online workspace implementing tools to manage social media channels, updating and upgrading social media postings, and generating social media content. They identified and logged operational issues and determined appropriate responses and assisted with event coordination.
The Fluvarium
The Fluvarium is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental education and freshwater ecology. Their goal is to engage the community, create awareness and inspire all to protect and conserve water resources. The Fluvarium is located along Nagles Brook in the heart of Pippy Park and engages student groups, children etc. to come view and learn about ecology and inhabitants of the river system. In 2021, Gershwin Carpen was involved with improving the design of a prototype of the Power Tower, which was envisioned to be a mobile interactive display as part of the Watershed Heroes Climate Action Day to educate students about alternative energy sources. Gershwin was able to use and develop his engineering research (and design) skills by focusing on the development of a technical report that will help the project team evolve a long term objective of constructing a permanent Power Tower structure that supports learning and engagement around climate action in an outdoor classroom environment.
The Fluvarium is a non-profit organization dedicated to environmental education and freshwater ecology. Their goal is to engage the community, create awareness and inspire all to protect and conserve water resources. The Fluvarium is located along Nagles Brook in the heart of Pippy Park and engages student groups, children etc. to come view and learn about ecology and inhabitants of the river system. In 2021, Gershwin Carpen was involved with improving the design of a prototype of the Power Tower, which was envisioned to be a mobile interactive display as part of the Watershed Heroes Climate Action Day to educate students about alternative energy sources. Gershwin was able to use and develop his engineering research (and design) skills by focusing on the development of a technical report that will help the project team evolve a long term objective of constructing a permanent Power Tower structure that supports learning and engagement around climate action in an outdoor classroom environment.
WISE NL
In 2021, Kevin Sharpe and Yara Hamouda worked with Women in Science and Engineering Newfoundland (WISE NL), a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that seeks to increase the participation of young and adult women in rewarding and exciting careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The organization has developed the CareerLinks site, which was designed to be of value to anyone, female or male, seeking a first career in science, engineering, trades, and technology (SETT) or considering a career change within SETT. Kevin was involved with adding features to the CareerLinks webpage such as securing the website, fixing bugs, switching to a new web host, changing the profile builder and adding a bug report page. Yara upgraded content on the WISE NL website which involved developing content, creating contact forms, and member profile forms, and adding new developments.
In 2021, Kevin Sharpe and Yara Hamouda worked with Women in Science and Engineering Newfoundland (WISE NL), a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that seeks to increase the participation of young and adult women in rewarding and exciting careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The organization has developed the CareerLinks site, which was designed to be of value to anyone, female or male, seeking a first career in science, engineering, trades, and technology (SETT) or considering a career change within SETT. Kevin was involved with adding features to the CareerLinks webpage such as securing the website, fixing bugs, switching to a new web host, changing the profile builder and adding a bug report page. Yara upgraded content on the WISE NL website which involved developing content, creating contact forms, and member profile forms, and adding new developments.
Social Justice Co-operative NL
The Social Justice Co-operative (SJC) of Newfoundland and Labrador is a not-for-profit organization in St. John's. The organization's objectives include providing policy alternatives to all levels of government that will address and redress matters of social, economic and political inequality. SJC also provides public education on structural causes of poverty and the importance of engaged citizenry. Winter 2020 work term student, Solange Fuekang, conducted a study of public transit options for the Northeast Avalon. She modeled current approaches to public transit, researched options, and created proposed alternatives that maximize accessibility to transit for residents of the Northeast Avalon.
The Social Justice Co-operative (SJC) of Newfoundland and Labrador is a not-for-profit organization in St. John's. The organization's objectives include providing policy alternatives to all levels of government that will address and redress matters of social, economic and political inequality. SJC also provides public education on structural causes of poverty and the importance of engaged citizenry. Winter 2020 work term student, Solange Fuekang, conducted a study of public transit options for the Northeast Avalon. She modeled current approaches to public transit, researched options, and created proposed alternatives that maximize accessibility to transit for residents of the Northeast Avalon.
O’Brien Farm
The O’Brien Farm is an active, working farm where people learn about and practice sustainable food production. It also tells the story of Irish settlement in St. John’s, NL through the story of the O’Brien family. The O’Brien Farm Foundation was formed in 2011 to preserve, develop, and operate the farm which is one of the last original family farms in the city. The Earth Sheltered Greenhouse Project is a community initiative combining a greenhouse and a root cellar, to create an appropriate grow space to support agriculture in challenging northern climates. The project included expanding the footprint of the demonstration greenhouse, and adding systems for heating, venting, lights and monitoring equipment. In 2020 work term student, Richard Lovell, worked with the project team to create a construction plan including a water system design, electrical wiring plan, lighting control system and venting and temperature controls. In 2021, Solange Fuekang developed a potential heating method for the greenhouse, while maintaining affordability and effectiveness.
The O’Brien Farm is an active, working farm where people learn about and practice sustainable food production. It also tells the story of Irish settlement in St. John’s, NL through the story of the O’Brien family. The O’Brien Farm Foundation was formed in 2011 to preserve, develop, and operate the farm which is one of the last original family farms in the city. The Earth Sheltered Greenhouse Project is a community initiative combining a greenhouse and a root cellar, to create an appropriate grow space to support agriculture in challenging northern climates. The project included expanding the footprint of the demonstration greenhouse, and adding systems for heating, venting, lights and monitoring equipment. In 2020 work term student, Richard Lovell, worked with the project team to create a construction plan including a water system design, electrical wiring plan, lighting control system and venting and temperature controls. In 2021, Solange Fuekang developed a potential heating method for the greenhouse, while maintaining affordability and effectiveness.
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Manuels River Centre
The Centre had several projects where they needed the help of engineering students. These projects were required to improve safety and accessibility on the trail system. This included designing a lighting system, powered by the river, to provide lighting in underpasses. Students also performed a safety and accessibility audit of the trail to make recommendations to the Manuels River Hibernia Interpretation Centre's board. This allows more people to use the trail system, and increase the safety of users. Students also made design recommendations that will seek to prevent vandalism on the trail system. Yiran Liu worked with Manuels River during the Fall of 2019 . Yiran has also been a volunteer with MUN Botanical Gardens - so her concern for community and environment are quite evident. Beyond the engineering work she did at Manuels River, she also volunteered for events at the Centre, including the popular Family Haunted Hike. This was Yiran's final work term of the program before graduating with her Civil Engineering Class of 2020. |
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