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>> The right minds at the University of Texas can solve just about any challenge but what if that challenge is thousands of miles away and what if the solution requires people
from different backgrounds with different skillsets?
Enter Projects for Underserved Communities, a global initiative between UT's international office and the Cockrell School of Engineering.
>> Social work and engineering are perfect partners.
The engineers have the technical skillset and the social work students have the communication and community needs skillset.
I've never done anything in which the collaboration of so many individuals and units were critical to the success of this project.
Everyone really jumps onboard and asks how they can help.
>> The curriculum is broken into three phases over three semesters; first the assessment, then concept selection and design and finally, implementation.
It's phase three that really tests these student's resolve.
Their challenge?
Give up part of their summer, travel across the world and fix a problem.
>> We're going to Papua, New Guinea and we are working in a community, it's a rural village.
They have about 800 people there.
They don't have electricity and the main problem that they have is they don't have a good way to get water.
>> Our project is going to be a solar powered water distribution system.
There's going to be a solar panel which is going to power a submersible pump, which is going to pump water into a tank and then the water is taken
into the tank and distributed to the whole village.
>> After 11 days of sacrifice, a community in need is forever changed and so too, are those who provided the solution.
>> The students are changed by their experience.
They come back with this broader world that then is magnified and this is really the beauty of all study abroad experiences;
that it changes the person who is then able to change others.