Ecuador Trip - Summer 2022
"Our team stayed with Nido de Vida for two weeks. During this time we tested our RAM pump prototype, as well as conducted water testing at different locations throughout the community. In order to avoid exposing community members to Covid, we wore masks when interacting with community members and made sure to test regularly. Testing our RAM pump prototype in a non-controlled enviroment revealed there are still improvements that need to be made, which we plan to work on during the academic year."
- Amanda Margolis, Member 2022
Ecuador Trip - Summer 2019
"This year Team Aquador returned to Ecuador to conduct detailed water testing and to meet and interview members of a community called Olmedo. We have officially partnered with an architect, David Regalado (the founder of Fondo de Arquitectura) and Klever Sanchez, the mayor of Olmedo, to work on two to three long term projects.
During our trip we held a town-hall meeting with regional government officials, and participated in both radio and televised interviews to publicize the project to the entire region. We also worked closely with the mayor of Olmedo, to make contact with and then travel to rural communities. We conducted video interviews, and took photos and measurements of their water treatment system.
We met our main goals of the trip which were to: (1) conduct a user-focused needs assessment with actual community members (2) establish a formal partnership and outline potential projects with regional government and supporting businesses and (3) collect quantitative data about Olmedo's water system in order improve our prototypes this fall semester.
With several of the team leads graduating this past semester, including ourselves, we hoped that this trip would set up the new team leads that have been appointed. We believe that the new partnerships, publication of the project, and data will allow our team to return with more prototypes and testing next year. "
- Katherine Lastoskie and Sebastian Ojeda, Team Leaders, 2019
Ecuador Trip - Summer 2018
"One of the most educational moments on our team trip was when we visited a local community in Insilivi which is in the mountains. We toured their water treatment system, and talked to local people. I was impressed by their existing water treatment solution; it was well organized, and implemented in one of the most remote places that I have ever been. It changed the way that I thought about the whole project."
- Katherine Lastoskie, Energy Team Leader, 2018
"My favorite part of the trip was going to meet the locals at each different community and seeing how motivated they were to help create a way for clean, fresh water to be readily accessible. It really brought upon a new source of motivation for the group!"
- Jack Pelletier, Purification Team Leader, 2018
"My favorite part of the trip was travelling through each of the three regions and seeing how the culture and way of living differed from each other. I also enjoyed getting to spend more time together as a team, working together to find a way to bring clean water to the families living in areas at risk for natural disasters. This was an incredible experience and I can't wait to go back next year!"
- Camille Latour, Business Team Co-Leader, 2018
"I had a great time traveling through the different regions of Ecuador on our trip, and getting to know more about the culture and work together with the team. I think seeing the communities that we plan to continue working with in the future was really motivating for everyone, and brought us closer to the cause and excited to keep working during the year!"
- Drew Smiley, Business Team Co-Leader, 2018
"The team trip was definitely a highlight of my summer. I loved being able to talk to members of the communities about what they wanted from their water systems. It was also very helpful to see where we may be implementing our design. This will help us design a water filtration and purification system that's tailored to a specific community."
- Jill Porretta, Design Team Leader, 2018
Team Camping Trip in Fall of 2017
"Doing social activities as a team makes us more effective communicators, and therefore better at our work in the field"
- Sebastian Ojeda, Team Founder, 2017
