%20(2).png)
Bulldogs Without Borders
Bulldogs Without Borders is a smaller coalition of students from our chapter that specialize in working on projects throughout our Duluth community. These projects are separate from Engineers Without Borders - USA projects, and are not affiliated with the organization in any way.
These projects are carried out through beloved nonprofit organizations in the Duluth community - the Duluth Center for Women and Children and the Nourish Program. These efforts are led by Dr. Aparna Katre at UMD. For further information on our local partner organizations, visit the links below!
Duluth Projects
Duluth Sharps Containment and Disposal Project
January 2025 - PRESENT
In 2025, The Bulldogs Without Borders team began working on an upgrade for the Duluth sharps disposal system. The goal of this project is to make it easier and more sustainable to dispose of used sharps in public areas, as well as to improve the safety and ergonomics of the system for the volunteers who empty the sharps boxes.
This project has been developing through the help of the community at large. With each design cycle, community members give input on things they want improved or changed. The project is nearing its first official implementation in the community, which is planned for Fall 2026.
Nourish Program Life Cycle Assessment
September 2025 - PRESENT
The Nourish Program in Duluth is a community sponsored service that provides free meal kits for low income families living in food deserts. Half of the customers receive the meal kits free of charge, while the other half (those who are able to pay for the service) pay separately to subsidize it.
In September of 2025, the Bulldogs Without Borders group began a life cycle assessment project for Nourish to help them make their program more economical and sustainable. The project is projected to last until Spring 2027, providing insights for over a full calendar year of the program's operation.
Bertha's Community Garden
MAY 2021
As we were unable to travel abroad during Covid-19, we designed and built a rainwater catchment system for a local community garden which provides free fresh produce to a food desert in Central Hillside. EWB-UMD has continued to help maintain the garden, and as part of a mission to turn the garden into a local cultural center designed and constructed a pergola on its grounds.
