Answer: NO! Based on our mission we work on engineering related projects but everyone who helps does not need the be an engineer. As a matter of fact, we have found that project solutions are better when a broad spectrum of disciplines contribute. More than half of our students are from majors other than engineering; biology, history, anthropology, business, geology, language, public health .... the list goes on and on.
Answer: For both students and community members the time commitment depends on how involved you want to be. If you want to be an integral part of a project and ultimately travel on an implementation trip, then plan on meeting with the project team biweekly during the fall semester and weekly during the winter semester as we prepare for the construction trip. If you want to help out or be involved but cannot commit to this much time then that's also fine but travel opportunities will be limited. Your time commitment depends on you and how involved you want to be.
Answer: No. Traveling with a project implementation team is just one way to help. There are lots of other that do not require travel.
Answer: VAP is NOT a travel club. Each student who travels will have spent so many hours working on the project that if all you want to do is to travel, then it is easier to get a job, save your money, and travel. Having said that, our goal is to give all interested students the opportunity to travel with VAP and so far, we have had a spot for everyone. We do have some requirements like you need to be a contributing member dedicated to the VAP mission, you will be responsible for your own travel cost; you must take the 1-credit VAP course before you participate on an implementation trip.
Answer: Students are responsible for their own travel expenses. This is mostly airfare but there are other costs such as immunizations, in-country travel (buses, trains, etc) and your own supplies. The student club works together on fundraising with the goal of paying 1/2 of the student expenses.
Click here to access the shared VAP OneDrive repository with your FLC login credentials.
VAP consists of both students and community members. The goal is to fully integrate community members in all aspects of projects. Help is always needed at both the technical and organizational level. The time commitment will depend on how involved you choose to be. Engaged community members do have the opportunity to travel on implementation trips. Some of the non-technical tasks that we need community member help with include fundraising, video production, public relations, newsletter production, language translation, helping with training workshops for students, mentoring students on a variety of tasks, etc. We are hoping to find volunteers who can take on one of these tasks and stick with it for several years providing a consistent year to year approach.
Community partners who wish to travel are expected to participate at the same level, or greater, as students. This means attending meetings, taking a leadership role in work groups, and helping with fundraising and other jobs. We need committed people who believe in our mission. We know it's expecting a lot but we feel it is only fair.
Contact the VAP faculty directors:
Matthew Klema mrklema@fortlewis.edu 970-247-7663
Don May May_d@fortlewis.edu 970-247-7545
Laurie Williams williams_l@fortlewis.edu 970-247-7160