Meet the Community Engineering Corps

Tell us about the Community Engineering Corps and its impact.

Community Engineering Corps (CECorps) builds a future where everyone has access to critical infrastructure for thriving communities and opportunities. Founded in 2014, CECorps leverages an extensive volunteer network to provide pro-bono engineering and consulting services in partnership with communities throughout the U.S., its Territories, and Tribal Entities to address infrastructure issues and inequities.

We are a multidisciplinary team that blends technical expertise with a holistic approach to development, allowing us to extend our services beyond engineering and offer comprehensive support when tackling the critical infrastructure needs of underserved communities.

Our work centers on addressing infrastructure inequity with project disciplines spanning the entire civil sector including water supply, agriculture, civil works, structures, wastewater, and energy. We partner with a variety of communities, including nonprofits, utilities, municipalities, neighborhood associations, and more to provide engineering technical services to those who cannot afford to hire a traditional consulting firm. While the specific needs of participating communities vary, all projects require a technical or engineering scope of work, such as a preliminary engineering report, and no resources to otherwise complete the scope.

We focus on the preliminary components of projects, such as diagnosing problems, cost estimates, alternatives analyses, and other guidance to support communities as they prepare to seek out grant funding to implement projects. While most of our project teams consist of a minimum of three team members, others only require an individual, serving as a project advisor rather than preparing deliverables. It is important to note that our work concludes at the point of project implementation. Our role on projects is to provide pre-construction engineering expertise.

Our work is made possible through our volunteers, communities, and donors. To date, we have unlocked over $26 million dollars of Federal, State, and local funding for communities, resulting in the completion of over 100 projects across 98 communities. We are continuing that work in 2025, with over 600 volunteers actively engaged in 60 projects across the nation.

National Engineers Week is Feb 16-22, a week designed to highlight the difference engineers make in the world. Is there a recent project that encapsulates this sentiment?

In 2022, a small, underserved community in Iroquois County, Illinois, found itself grappling with significant challenges related to its aging water distribution system. After recent inspections revealed deficiencies in their drinking water storage tank that resulted in regulatory violations, the community sought assistance from the CECorps to assess the situation.

The need for action was urgent. A contractor’s quote for repairs to the storage tank came in at $250,000—an amount far beyond the community’s financial reach. Compounding the problem, inspections showed that the distribution system was primarily composed of deteriorating cast-iron pipes, leading to frequent breaks and a decline in water quality. Residents began reporting issues, including rust-colored water and ongoing regulatory violations.

Recognizing the critical nature of these infrastructure challenges, CECorps mobilized a volunteer team to support the community. This team worked collaboratively with residents to conduct a thorough assessment of the existing water system and develop viable alternatives to address the pressing issues. They created a Preliminary Engineering Report, which included a detailed analysis of the infrastructure, conceptual designs that fit the community’s constraints, and recommendations for both fire suppression and public consumption needs.

As the project progressed, the team focused on practical solutions, redesigning key components of the water system to enhance performance and reliability. The Preliminary Engineering Report is nearing completion, and the deliverables will play a crucial role in the community’s efforts to secure federal funding for capital improvements. This funding is essential for upgrading the drinking water infrastructure, which will not only improve water quality but also bring the system into regulatory compliance.

The transformation that lies ahead for this community is significant. With the support of CECorps and the partnership with the Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, residents will soon be able to enjoy their right to safe drinking water without the fear of rust contamination or regulatory issues. This story exemplifies the power of community collaboration and the importance of dedicated support in revitalizing essential infrastructure for a healthier, safer future.

You work in partnership with three Reservoir Center Partners – Engineers Without Borders USA, American Society of Civil Engineers, and the American Water Works Association – can you explain how the partnership works?

This partnership draws upon the strengths of each organization, bolstering CECorps’ capacity through funding, staffing, and volunteer recruitment. All three organizations contribute to CECorps’ efforts through private donations and government grants, as well as contributions made through EWB-USA’s corporate partnerships and philanthropic donations made through AWWA’s Water Equation.

From a staffing standpoint, members of each organization support CECorps, with commitments varying from significant time allocation to staff members being committed full-time to the program. Lastly, being spread across three organizations enables us to pull volunteers from many different sources with diverse backgrounds and knowledge in the engineering arena. While EWB-USA, AWWA, and ASCE have their own chapter, sections, and affiliate groups, CECorps can involve volunteers from all three organizations, encouraging collaboration between volunteers to ensure we can assemble strong teams regardless of location or affiliation.

How do you find communities that need engineering support? And how do you find Engineers to help?

There are typically three pathways by which communities get involved with CECorps. First is through organizations that partner with CECorps. There are multiple avenues we collaborate through, including the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Centers (EJ TCTAC), funded through the EPA to support communities across the nation in technical assistance, and communities that receive services through the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, an association of nonprofits that provides underserved communities with guidance and expertise to improve community residents’ quality of life through a variety of means. These entities both work to support underserved communities through technical assistance and infrastructure improvements. Occasionally, the community’s needs surpass the engineering technical capacity of our partners. This is where CECorps steps in to provide pro-bono engineering services to support the preliminary engineering needs of communities.

Second, communities come to us via direct recruitment, either through our volunteer network (both students and professionals) who are aware of communities in need of engineering support or would like to get involved themselves, or through other direct project recruitment efforts, using platforms such as conferences, presentations, and similar mediums to raise awareness of services available.

Third, many communities that are working to address infrastructure challenges reach out to us unsolicited via the application available on our website. Regardless of the way by which communities come to CECorps, follow up is provided through direct contact with CECorps staff as we work to see how a community may fit within our program.

Volunteer recruitment follows a similar pathway. We recruit volunteers, both engineers, skilled professionals, and students, through three methods. First, direct recruitment is conducted through the efforts of individual EWB-USA chapters and AWWA and ASCE sections, in which chapters and their respective members lead their own recruitment efforts. Second, CECorps prioritizes direct recruitment efforts by attending conferences and one-off presentations, webinars, newsletters, and other mediums. Projects through CECorps offer opportunities for corporate partners, and companies interested in expanding their philanthropic efforts, to engage their employees in meaningful work. Lastly, many engineers and other skilled individuals come to us on their own, enquiring about supporting our projects. When someone expresses interest, we will reach out to them directly and see how best they can support our projects through their skill sets.

Through this multi-faceted approach to recruitment, CECorps has a diverse network of volunteers across the country who are equipped with a wealth of expertise.

Can you briefly explain a project start to finish?

Projects begin at the community level, with interested communities applying for the program. The community will go through the application process, at which time CECorps staff will determine if the project is in line with CECorps’ mission and capabilities. Following this, a volunteer team will be recruited for the project, with an emphasis placed on the teams’ technical expertise and location, ensuring the team will be capable of completing the project. Nearly all projects are required to have a team of at least three members, filling various positions, and are designed to ensure that participating communities will receive the same rigor that would be required of a for-hire firm.

Projects will then undergo site assessments and community visits, and communities will collaborate with CECorps to determine the final scope of work. This culminates with the development of all deliverables, including engineering and/or design reports, regulatory assistance, and training, as projects require. At the conclusion of a project, communities have the deliverables necessary to seek out grant or loan funding and move forward with implementation.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) is a critical piece for ensuring CECorps continues to improve. All projects will close out with an assessment of lessons learned, informed by surveys to both volunteers and the community. This input informs CECorps on what went well, what could be done better, and how to adjust practices to ensure the next project goes well.

What are you most excited about when thinking about CEC’s work in 2025?

In 2024, we celebrated the tenth anniversary of CECorps. Over the last ten years, CECorps has collaborated with nearly 100 communities across the country on projects addressing and resolving infrastructure inequity across various disciplines of the civil engineering sector. As we look to 2025, we are excited to continue joining communities’ efforts in new and collaborative ways. We are looking to enhance our scalability by strengthening our amazing partnerships but also support communities in other activities in the engineering consulting arena. As we move forward in supporting communities across the nation, we are prioritizing the enhancement of our volunteer base, both through individual recruitment, and engaging student and professional networks. If you or someone you know would like to get involved, we encourage you to reach out through CECinfo@ewb-usa.org for information on how to get started.