Category: Education

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🚲🍓 From ideas to action: the SmoothieBike project is officially rolling!

Over the past weeks, Engineers without borders Luxembourg has started bringing the SmoothieBike initiative to life together with the children at Day Care Arcus as part of the national BNE – “Bildung fir Nohalteg Entwécklung” programme.

What began as a broken bicycle is gradually transforming into something much bigger:
✨ a hands-on lesson in sustainability,
✨ a creative engineering experience,
✨ and a fun way to explore circular economy in everyday life.

Through the workshops, children are discovering how technical thinking, teamwork, and creativity can give new life to unused materials. Step by step, they are learning that sustainability is not just a concept in a classroom, but something tangible they can build with their own hands.

And soon… the real reward:
Pedal-powered smoothies made by the children themselves! 🍓⚡

Beyond the smoothies, the project encourages discussions around:
🌍 Reducing waste
🔄 Reusing materials
💡 Energy and innovation
💚 Healthy and active lifestyles

Seeing the children’s curiosity and enthusiasm reminds us why projects like this matter: small engineering ideas can plant the seeds for lifelong environmental awareness.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in making this initiative possible. More updates coming soon!

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👩🏻 Inspiring young women to take initiative

A big thank you to the Young Women Conference (YWC) for inviting us to take part in this inspiring trade fair. It was a great opportunity to connect with young women and raise awareness around environmental and societal challenges and most importantly, to show that impact doesn’t require many resources, just curiosity and initiative.

💡 From experimenting with a water filter prototype to generating electricity using a lime, these hands-on activities sparked conversations, creativity, and engagement.

Seeing their enthusiasm, questions, and ideas reminded us why this work matters.

Following our participation on 19 March, we would like to thank the Young Women’s Conference (YWC), and Hanna Siemaszko supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), for this inspiring event.

👉 Learn more about the event here: https://www.ywc.lu/

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🚲 Inspiring the Next Generation Through Circular Economy | SmoothieBike Project

Engineers without borders Luxembourg are taking part in the national BNE – “Bildung fir Nohalteg Entwécklung” programme, promoting climate awareness, circular economy, and sustainable development.

As part of this initiative, the SmoothieBike project will soon come to life through hands-on workshops with children aged 8–12 at Day Care Arcus.

More than just a bike, SmoothieBike is a powerful storytelling and learning tool, showing how engineering and material reuse can make sustainability tangible and fun.

The project has two key parts:

🔧 Building the SmoothieBike
Together with the children, we will transform a broken bicycle into a pedal-powered blender, introducing them to:
• Engineering basics and technical thinking
• The value of reuse and circular economy
• Creativity, teamwork, and hands-on problem-solving

🍓 Using the SmoothieBike
The bike will remain at the Day Care, allowing children to turn fruits into smoothies using their own energy, demonstrating how engineering can:
• Reduce food waste
• Promote healthy nutrition
• Encourage active lifestyles
• Make sustainability concrete and engaging

Through this project, we aim to show that simple technical ideas can spark curiosity, empower young minds, and inspire the next generation to think differently about resources and sustainability.

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Guest Lecture: Circular Economy & Waste Management 🌍

This week, Engineers Without Borders Luxembourg had the honor of welcoming Dr. Oec. Patrick L. Dorvil, Senior Sector Economist at the European Investment Bank, for a lecture on circular economy and waste management.

The event brought together master’s students from the University of Luxembourg (originally from Cameroon), along with members of EWB Luxembourg, both in person and online. Under the supervision of Dr. Dorvil, the students have now begun their work, contributing to our Cameroon Circular Economy Project – Plastic Waste Management as part of their academic program.

We are deeply grateful to Dr. Dorvil for sharing his expertise and for guiding the next generation of engineers, as well as to the University of Luxembourg for supporting this collaboration. This initiative strengthens the bridge between academia and practical field projects, helping to advance sustainable waste management solutions in Cameroon.

👉 Learn more about the project here: Cameroon Circular Economy Project

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Circular Economy – Guest Lecture by Dr. Patrick L. Dorvil (EIB)

Engineers Without Borders Luxembourg is honored to host Dr. Patrick L. Dorvil, Senior Sector Economist at the Projects Directorate of the European Investment Bank, for a 45-minute lecture on circular economy and waste management.

This presentation marks the start of a collaboration with master’s students, who will contribute to our Cameroon Circular Economy Project – Plastic Waste Management as part of their academic program.

We warmly invite engineers, students, researchers, and professionals interested in sustainability to join us for this inspiring event.

📅 Sept 30, 6pm | 📍 Campus Kirchberg D17
🔗 Learn more about the project: Cameroon Circular Economy Project – Plastic Waste Management. Learn more about the event on our LinkedIn page.

#CircularEconomy #WasteManagement #Sustainability #Engineering #EIB #EngineersWithoutBorders #ClimateAction

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🌞👨‍🔬 DIY Solar Cooker – Back in the Sun – Field Testing, Teamwork & Good Food

Last Sunday, we came together once again to see our solar cooker in action, reflect on what we’ve learned so far, and brainstorm the next steps in our ongoing research project. It was a great mix of hands-on testing, technical discussions – and shared moments.

Despite the sometimes unpredictable August weather in Luxembourg (we got lucky with the sun ☀️😅), we managed to cook a meal, enjoy the results, and exchange ideas on how to optimize performance, tracking mechanisms, and heat transfer.

🍽️ Key takeaway?

Engineering and sustainability go hand-in-hand – but it’s the human element that makes these projects truly meaningful. Sitting together, sharing a solar-cooked dish, and dreaming up improvements is what drives us forward.

🔬 What’s next?

> Testing alternative absorber Materials
> Improving reflector precision
> Collecting more performance data under varying conditions

Huge thanks to everyone who joined and contributed their insights & energy – especially Michel Guenther for pushing things forward!

#SolarCooking #SustainableEngineering #DIYScience #HandsOnLearning #ScienceCommunity #EngineeringForGood #CircularDesign #EWB #EngineersWithoutBordersLuxembourg

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🌞🔧 DIY Solar Cooker – Cooking with the Power of the Sun

We decided to build a solar cooker as a fun and educational science project. A solar cooker uses nothing but sunlight to prepare food – no fossil fuels, no wood. 🌱♻️ A small step for us, a meaningful contribution to a more sustainable future.

🎯 Goal:
To create a simple, low-cost solar cooker using common materials, test the concept, and gain hands-on experience with solar cooking.

🛠️ Our Approach:
📡 Reused a broken satellite dish as the reflector
🪞 Cut small mirror squares and glued them onto the dish
🛞 Used an old truck brake disc + welded steel frame for a stable base
⚙️ Implemented a zenith angle control mechanism for solar tracking

📊 Key Data:
🔲 Reflective surface: 0.79 m²
🔍 Concentration factor: ~130
🌡️ Test in March (Luxembourg): 170 °C reached
☀️ Test in July: 42 % efficiency achieved

💬 Conclusion:
A rewarding hands-on project that combines engineering, sustainability, and reuse. A great example of how simple ideas can drive real impact.

Big thanks to our member Michel Guenther !!!

#SolarCooking #Sustainability #DIYEngineering #RenewableEnergy #ScienceProject #EngineeringForGood #CircularDesign #EngineersWithoutBordersLuxembourg #EWB #EWB_Luxembourg

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🤝 Enhancing Collaboration with the University 🎓

Yesterday, EWB Luxembourg President Kristina Teppo met with representatives of the University of Luxembourg’s Engineering Department – Prof. Francesco Viti (Head), Prof. Ralph Useldinger (CERATIZIT Chair, Ingénieurs et Scientifiques du Luxembourg a.s.b.l. board member), and Berta Rato (Strategic Advisor to the FSTM Dean).

The meeting focused on strengthening collaboration with the university and creating more opportunities for student involvement in EWB’s sustainable development projects.

#EWBLuxembourg #UniversityOfLuxembourg #EngineeringForDevelopment #Sustainability