The community at Waterloo Engineering came together for Giving Tuesday on Nov. 29 to generously support two funds that provide our students with a dynamic and diverse learning environment that prepares them for successful careers in a complex world.
More than 80 donors supported the Engineering Student Teams Fund with over $22,000 in donations. More than 90 donors supported The Equity Fund with a total of $27,000 in donations.
The impact of these donations was amplified by a special pledge on the day. By securing over 50 donors per fund on Giving Tuesday, each fund received a bonus donation of $5,000 from our challenge champions: Mary Wells, dean of Waterloo Engineering, and alumnus Ajay Batish (BASc '96, electrical engineering, MA '98, economics) and his wife Sonali Batish.
The 30-plus student design teams will put the donations towards purchasing necessary equipment and materials, and paying registration fees that will allow them to compete on the global stage. These teams provide students with unique learning opportunities that enhance their studies with experiences like retrofitting buildings to help create accessible housing and designing and blasting off rockets from the desert of Utah.
The Engineering Equity Fund supports scholarships, outreach programs and other initiatives designed to increase the representation, participation and inclusion of Indigenous and Black engineering students. The fund has awarded nine scholarships to date.
Go to Supporting students on Giving Tuesday for the full story.