Latest News

1/13/2010-Present

EWB/Haiti Outreach-IIT will be fundraising and turning all possible efforts to providing immediate relief to areas damaged by the Earthquake. We are very fortunate that the communities we work with were not damaged by initial earthquake or the aftershocks. The communities are okay as well as the projects implemented in the past.

1/27/2010 IIT Student Action to Provide Immediate Earthquake Relief in Haiti- Follow Up

Due to the enthusiastic response from the first meeting, EWB/Haiti Outreach-IIT as well as other students organizations will be hosting another meeting in order to further organize events, supply drives and donation drives.

1/19/2010 IIT Student Action to Provide Immediate Earthquake Relief in Haiti

EWB/Haiti Outreach-IIT hosted a general body meeting to provide more information on the conditions in Haiti as well as explore possible volunteer options and promote awareness across campus.

11/14/2009 EWB Great Lakes Regional Conference

Six students were sent to the Engineers Without Borders Great Lakes Regional Conference. The revolving theme of the conference this year was sustainability. The IIT students presented the updates on the La Victoire System Water Distribution Network and the implementation of the Lycee National Photo-Voltaic System.

08/2009 Implementation trip for Lycee National

Mid-August, EWB/Haiti Outreach-IIT sent 6 students and one professional photo-voltaic installer Tom Debates, who led the students in the design of the project. The students worked alongside workers from Haiti Outreach in Pignon for six days implementing the wiring of the system and installation of lights, batteries and solar panels on a guard shack. The lights in Pignon, Haiti have been turned on!

04/25/2009 Fundraiser for Lycee National

Haiti Outreach and EWB-IIT held the second annual fundraiser for the implementation of a photo-voltaic system in Pignon, Haiti. The school was designed using reinforced concrete. IIT students and developed an innovative lightweight roof design in 2006 and the photo-voltaic system is designed to bring electricity to the secondary school.

03/12/09

Six students are going on a week-long assessment trip to La Victoire, Haiti in order to work with Haiti Outreach and the community on implementing a water supply and distribution for the town.

10/23/08

Meeting between Haiti Outreach, CCH, and the community if Pignon. The meeting took place in Pignon and the water system was discussed. Details in the splitting up the project into phases and the details behind the management and implementation strategies were also discussed. CCH has ordered the ram pumps for phase 1 which will supply over 17,000 gallons of water per day to the town. During the meeting a plan to install the pumps and repair the spring caps were put in place. Construction should be complete before the end of the year.

10/19/08

Algirdas Bielskus and Mark Rokita presented at the WEFTEC National Student Design Competition this Sunday and finished in 4th place. Only teams that won another confrence were invited. Al and Mark represented the Illinois Water Evironemtanl Federetion (IWEA).

Fall 2008 UIUC Great Lakes Regional Conference

The IIT students sent 4 students to the GLR conference in fall. The students won best student presentation in the conference for their presentation on the Lycee National project proposal, pre-implementation.

06/14/08

Meeting with Community Coaltion for Haiti (CCH) to discuss Pignon water project design and implementation strategies. First formal meeting between CCH, Haiti Outreach, and Haiti Outreach - IIT.
CCH Board members Knox Singleton, Karen Carr, Jim Roenick , and Carl Biggs represented CCH. Neil Van Dine (Country Director Haiti Outreach) represnted Haiti Outreach. Dr. Krishna Pagilla, Alexandre Miot and Mark Rokita represented Haiti Outreach - IIT.

04/19/08

EPA P3 Competition in Washington DC. The trip to DC also gave the team the opportunity to meet with Mark C. Petri, the Science and Technology Adviser in the office of Senator Richard J. Durbin. Some members of the team also met with Megan Garcia in the office of Congresswoman Hon. Jan Schakowsky. LINK 1. LINK 2.

03/30/08

CSWEA Design Competition in Madison, WI (placed 2nd).

03/18/08

IWEA Conference in Peoria, IL. Keynote speakers during lunch.

03/11/08

AWWA Conference. Poster competition in Springfield, IL.

02/11/08

Haiti Outreach article in IIT Today. LINK

02/08/08

Haiti Outreach article in Chicago Suntimes. LINK

02/05/08
Students recognized in school newspaper Tech News for their efforts. LINK

02/02/08
Had celebration / fundraising dinner support implementation of a water system in Haiti. PICTURE 1; PICTURE 2; PICTURE 3; PICTURE 4; PICTURE 5; PICTURE 6; PICTURE 7; PICTURE 8

Meeting with Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH). PICTURE 1; PICTURE 2.

01/10/08
Seven-day trip to Haiti. Began preliminary work in La Victoire. Established relationship with mayor, surveyed town with GPS and total station, located and marked exisitng capped spring and proposed uncapped spring, and took water samples for water testing. Had meeting with water committee and local government of Pignon. Agreed to exchange plans. PICTURE 1; PICTURE 2; PICTURE 3

09/11/07
Engineers Without Borders Great Lakes Regional Workshop will take place in UIC campus from September 28th – 30th, 2007 (LINK). Students interested in participating in the event should contact us or the EWB Student Chapter.

09/02/07
Alex Miot gave an official presentation of our work to the leading groups of Pignon. The Mayor, the Water Committee , the Rotary Club, Doctor Guy (President of Pignon Hospital), and many community members were present. The meeting was productive and an official partnership between IIT and Pignon is being developed. PICTURE

08/30/07
The team met the directors of the National Service of Potable Water of Haiti in their office in Port au Prince to discuss how IIT students could become involved in national projects. They were impressed by the work of the students and they have expressed interest in a future partnership with IIT. PICTURE

08/30/07
A team of 4 students and Professor Pagilla have traveled to Haiti for 7 days. Their mission is to present our work to officials from Haiti and to survey the population of Pignon in order to collect socio-economic data, to better understand the water-use habits of the population. PICTURE

6/04/07
IPRO 326 taught by Mark Taylor and Professor Land (PROJECT PAGE) began today. Their objective is to continue the work started by Architecture students in the Fall semester.They hope to provide a more in-depth investigation of the construction possibilities for the High School in Pignon.

05/05/07
Mark Taylor flew to Pignon to deliver a concrete blocks mold created by IIT students. It will be used in the construction of the building. He also worked with the local contractors to find ways to improve the strength of the locally-produced concrete. VIDEO

04/27/07
IPRO 327, the team who participated in the water project, won a Recognition Award during IPRO Day for Exceptional Team Performance. Their award of $500 was generously donated to our chapter to allow for more students to work on the project in Haiti.

03/17/07
Today, a team of five students left for Haiti for 6 days. Their mission is to survey the entire town of Pignon and to collect data that will allow the development of a preliminary design of a sustainable water supply and distribution system for the town of Pignon.

03/15/07
Mark Taylor gave a presentation on the water project at the 28th Annual IWEA Conference on March 6th in Bloomington, IL. We would like to thank the Illinois Water Environment Association and their President Mr. Kollias for their generous contribution in support of our efforts in Haiti. (link to www.iweasite.org )
PICTURE 1; PICTURE 2

01/9/07
A team of 3 students traveled to Pignon for 5 days today. Their mission was to survey the Pignon High School site so designing can start. PICTURE