Who We Are

Our History

EfID was founded in September 2011 as a recognized student organization at George Mason University. Since then, EfID has accomplished significant work in Honduras, the Peruvian Andes, the Amazon, and Nicaragua addressing small communities' concerns over water shortages, clean water access, sanitation, and hygiene. Our mission is to always work alongside the community while educating them to create a sustainable impact that will set the foundation for generations to come.

Our Mission
​Every day, millions of people struggle worldwide with basic tasks of life. Whether it be the accessibility to clean drinking water, the means to properly dispose of wastewater, or the development of safe infrastructure, many communities lack the knowledge required to improve their lives.

We, as aspiring engineers, have decided to take action.

Our aim is to grow and develop long-standing partnerships with underdeveloped communities worldwide in order to better their quality of life. This partnership will encourage the involvement and training of responsible engineering students in order to implement sustainable, reliable, and cost effective engineering projects within the set partnership. In addition, to support our primary purpose, this chapter will engage in fundraising activities to provide sufficient funding to cultivate the worldwide partnership. 

What We Do
Engineers for International Development at George Mason University exists for students to participate in community-driven development programs worldwide through the design and implementation of sustainable engineering projects, while fostering responsible leadership. We work both internationally and locally to build and educate communities about their basic infrastructure systems such as drinking water and sanitation.

Located in Fairfax, VA, EfID works both domestically and internationally to make a real difference in our society. Since its development in 2011 by the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering, EfID has been called on to transform small communities in developing countries through educating them about their infrastructure systems, such as drinking water and sanitation, and by providing them with a solution to their needs.

A major part of EfID’s mission is to provide an authentic learning environment for Mason students. Throughout a project's design phase, 20-30 students work in teams with faculty and technical advisors to perform the necessary calculations and to formulate a plan for construction. The process allows students to translate their academic skills in basic engineering courses to real world design scenarios. At the culmination of the project, a subset of EfID students is given the opportunity to take part in the implementation trip, in which the design will go from concept to reality.