The Faculty of Engineering’s (FE) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) organized the “Environmental Engineering Summer Camp” in collaboration with the Sustainable Water Treatment for Hospitals Project (SWaTH) and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED). The camp was designed for school students aged 8 to 14 years old and was met with overwhelmingly positive feedback.
The event team comprised the FE’s Laboratory Instructors, Dr. Claudette El Hajj, Ms. Sawsan Sleiman, Ms. Louise Bechara, and Mr. Wissam Haddad, alongside FE Laboratory Technician, Mr. Elie Lahoud.
The camp constituted environmental activities, aiming to create a supportive and engaging learning journey as well as to strengthen the students’ interest in sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). From planting initiatives, to water quality testing, to waste collection, the camp provided a platform for hands-on experiments and immersive learning.
Activities included building a compost bin/center to promote eco-conscious practices and transforming old t-shirts into reusable bags, sparking creativity and sustainability. The students also dove into waste reduction and recycling experiments, fostering a sense of responsibility, and were introduced to surveying tools and elevation discovery. The students were also taken on a field trip to a wastewater treatment plant for a first-hand look at the large-scale processes.
NDU hopes that the experience served to ignite students’ curiosity, encouraging their passion for a greener future.