Junior Fellows

The Junior Fellowship program is a four month overseas placement working in one of EWB’s many ventures.

Prior to the placement, the volunteer is expected to prepare by reviewing all necessary materials, attending national conference, and participating in pre-departure trainings, all the while continuing to be a contributing member in the chapter. After the four month overseas placement, the returning Junior Fellow will be required to fulfill the remainder of the program’s objective by staying with the chapter for at least one more year to share valuable learning with the community and mentor the future Junior Fellow.

This placement focuses on building great leaders while providing members with the opportunity to create impact overseas. We recognize that four months is a short time to provide lasting impact in a developing country, so our volunteers are encouraged to return to the chapter and community to raise awareness and knowledge, perhaps providing the greatest impact at home.

Learn more about the program

“I got an opportunity to be a part of the Engineers of Tomorrow (EoT) venture for 8 months. EoT is radically bending the social, economic and political ‘borders’ that currently prevent the engineering profession from flourishing and evolving within Canada, and I had the privilege of helping the venture inch forward in creating and meeting their short term and long term goals. I worked on coordinating the marketing and operational logistics of 305+ events that took place in Ontario for National Engineering Month and supported the venture in strengthening relationships with engineering and engineering technology stakeholders within the province and nationally such as PEO, OSPE, OACETT and Engineers Canada. I also got the autonomy to help build the venture through a self-driven project where I decided to investigate how EoT can actively engage businesses and corporations in helping us systemically shape the future of the engineering profession.

My time at EoT brought forward the realisation that one does not necessarily have to leave the geographic bounds of our country to make a difference in or through the engineering profession. We, as a country, have a lot of work to do in our own backyards and I am proud that a humble venture like EoT is audaciously doing just that!” – Shivagna Kaistha, 2016 Junior Fellow

 


  • Past Junior Fellows

    Sprouting innovations in Ugandan agriculture.

    • Participated as a third-year Water Resources Engineering student at the University of Guelph.
    • Partnered with the Agriculture Value Chains venture in the town of Iganga, Uganda.
    • Developed insights on business influence and ownership that scaled to create change in maize, coffee and agricultural inputs value chains.

    Working directly with a small agricultural-inputs business, Emily was able to grow in-depth understanding of field level realities in relation to access and use of agro-inputs by small-scale farmers. In close collaboration with the business owner, Emily co-evaluated the potential of a new operating model to help the business enhance its market share and bring quality-certified seed closer to the farm-gate.

  • Past Junior Fellows

    Mobilizing insight for Ghanaian farmers.

    • Participated as a second-year Arts & Science student at McMaster University.
    • Worked with the Business Development Services Venture in Northern Ghana, and later in the more southern city of Kumasi.
    • Played a key role in pre-pilot market analysis to ensure a service was launched to the most receptive and appropriate audience base.

    Alexandra conducted research into Farmerline, a service that delivers vital agricultural information directly to farmers’ mobile phones. Alexandra analyzed the way smallholder crop farmers in Northern Ghana use extension services and mobile phones. After determining this would not be a good initial market for the service, Alexandra moved south to Kumasi to help pivot the service for a new market – fish farmers. There, she developed a partnership with Ghana’s fisheries commission and held workshops to engage and educate potential clients.

  • Past Junior Fellows

    Partnering with district councils for more accountable accounting.

    • Participated as a second-year Electrical Engineering student at the University of Alberta.
    • Worked with the Governance and Rural Infrastructure Venture at the West Gonja District Assembly in Damongo, Ghana, on revenue mobilization.
    • Played a key role in developing a system for accurate revenue projections and measures to improve accountability for revenue collectors.

    Through partnering with the District Assembly as well as Area Councils, Ryan investigated a range of the district’s entrenched challenges. After initial investigation, Ryan’s team implemented a Revenue Projection Database and data collection processes to ensure that all financing projections were made based on legitimate figures from the ground. His team also ensured that contracts were updated to improve the accountability and responsibilities of revenue collectors on commission.

  • Past Junior Fellows

    Breaking new ground for more responsible global mining.

    • Two-time winner at the first-ever Canadian Sustainable Development Goals Awards, 2016.
    • Co-drafted an international standard for reporting on local procurement for global mining companies.
    • Participated in Toronto through the Mining Shared Value Venture, part of our Governance and Sustainable Services portfolio.

    Through his Junior Fellowship placement with Mining Shared Value, Aditya worked on several integral projects to play a key role in taking the venture to new heights. Over the course of his placement, Aditya was involved in co-drafting an early iteration of an international standard for reporting on local procurement as a part of corporate social responsibility for mining companies around the world.

    In collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH, Aditya mapped out a network of organizations that focus on responsible mining, made recommendations to Global Affairs Canada by participating in Canada’s International Assistance Review, and more.

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