UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO

The University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio has been a collaborative and innovative partner of CWFW since 2015. CWFW provides immersive research and hands-on educational and service opportunities for students in the Department of Engineering. Experiences include building a purifier in their lab, participating in alternative spring break trips and innovating new designs. This unique university partnership has improved the lives of communities and students alike.

From the lab to the real world, students join CWFW delegations during their spring break traveling to El Salvador and Guatemala to experience the full impact of their work in the lives of others. They visit communities, review and help install purifiers, and learn about new cultures. Cultivating these learning opportunities has improved the CWFW purifier and led to unique innovations that meet the requests of communities CWFW works with.

CWFW has grown with the needs of its communities. Community leaders have often asked for a large-scale purifier. In 2018-2019, CWFW worked with partner organization in Guatemala, ASUVI, University of Toledo Professor Dr. Glenn Lipscomb and two Senior engineering students to develop a large-scale, solar-powered purifier that provides an entire community purified water directly to their homes.