The Ethos Center
Our Partners
The cornerstone of the Ethos program is our global partnerships. We partner with international, domestic and local organizations doing good in their communities.
We believe in working with an in-country host for all of our international projects, so our work may be most useful to the community and our solutions may reflect the true needs of the locals. The Ethos Center works with in-country hosts that sponsor our projects, enable authentic cultural immersions and provide local perspectives to our solutions.
One of the core values of The Ethos Center is partnership. We believe in working with an in-country host for all of our international projects, so our work may be most useful to the community and our solutions may reflect the true needs of the locals. The following is a list of previous, recent, and current partners:
Academic City University Collegewas established in 2009 as a single facility. Over 9 years the University graduated over 3,00+ students from over 23 African countries. Graduates of Academic City entered the workforce as professionals at international banks, manufacturing firms, corporate offices, government departments, and financial institutions in Ghana. In 2017, Academic City re-adjusted their curriculum to address the need for premium quality tertiary education infused with entrepreneurial thinking, innovative problem-solving, application-based learning, and an emphasis on ethical practices, within the African context. Henceforth,Academic City was re-positioned with a renewed purpose and a brand new campus, to deliver transformative, modern-day tertiary education for students in Ghana. Ethos students have collaborated with students at Academic City on a variety of projects including designing and building a recycling receptacle, testing and programing medical machinery, and participating in STEM education and outreach.
AGROTERRA- ALOTENANGO, GUATEMALA
Our community partner, Adbeel, who works with Commission to Every Nation created AgroTerra, an organic farm and property near Antigua, Guatemala. AgroTerra is focused on implementing sustainable farming practices such as the use of organic pesticides in the nearby communities. Adbeel has also recently implemented other sustainable technologies such as aquaponics systems and solar energy. The entire AgroTerra property runs on solar energy andconsists of multiple cabins and an educational center where community members and farmers can come and learn about these sustainable farming practices. Along with the work on his own organic farm, AgroTerra and Commission to Every Nation work in other Guatemalan communities to install solar panels on houses with no access to electricity.
CAMEROON FOOTBALL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM - KUMBA, CAMEROON
CFDP is a non-government organization started by UD Ethos alumni, Mark Ewalt. The organization aims to improve the lives of youth through values-based education, life skills, and leadership experience on and off the soccer field. In recent years Ethos students have worked on the route planning and site survey for a proposed roadway to connect an isolated village to the town across the lake. With this roadway complete, the villagers will be able to easily access the town and transport their crops to the market to sell.
CHANGE AND BE CHANGED - CINTIA, MALAWI
Change and Be Changed, Inc. is an organization incorporated in Ohio whose projects in Malawi involve the renovation of Kaseye Mission Hospital in Northern Malawi, scholarship funding for current and future medical professionals, and supporting disabled children and their families in remote areas of Northern Malawi. Change and Be Changed also supports scholarship funding for high school students.
DETERMINED 2 DEVELOP - CHILUMBA, MALAWI
D2D is a non-profit charity started in 2009 by University of Dayton Alumni, Matthew Maroon, that strives with its partners to lift the people of Malawi out of poverty using their own abilities and talents rather than hand-outs. Communities identify issues and solutions, which become the basis of D2D’s work, and then communities contribute to the implementation or running of each project. In recent years, Ethos students surveyed the land donated by the local chiefs to create a master plan for building a new high school, and then later worked alongside locals to help build a new high school.
DI LAB, PONTIFICAL UNIVERSITY OF CHILE - SANTIAGO, CHILE
Colegio Quilacahuin is located in the Los Lagos region of Chile near Osorno. Situated on the northern edge of Patagonia, the college serves a highly agricultural region with a substantial indigenous population. The college is essentially a K-12 school with a small residential student population. The college also runs an active farm with many students who continue working on small farms in the region. The college was founded by the Franciscan order who are still actively involved with the school. Our work with the college is in partnership with the DI Lab at the Pontifical University of Chile in Santiago.
DOMINICA MANUFACTURER'S ASSOCIATION (DMA) - ROSEAU, DOMINICA
The Dominica Manufacturer’s Association recognizes the significance of the manufacturing sector in the economic growth of Dominica. Determined to develop a viable manufacturing sector that will result in sustainable jobs and wealth for its citizens, DMA represents the interest of all manufacturing companies in Dominica. Many of these companies are small-scale producers of regional products such as soap, coconut oil, furniture and shoes.
DuStudio aims to promote eco-friendly, climatically-appropriate, energy-efficient, and cost-effective building materials and techniques that utilize locally-appropriate inputs and aesthetics. DuStudio is a collaborative practice that works with other non-government organizations to rejuvenate habitats through design, social engagement, and architecture.
ENGINEERS IN ACTION (EIA) – LA PAZ, BOLIVA; COMUNA GUANGAJE, ECUADOR
Engineers in Action is dedicated to improving healthy and safe access to water. Building long-term, sustainable systems in Latin American communities, EIA partners with communities and other international organizations to build sustainable infrastructures. With engineers and professional staff from Latin America to implement their projects, EIA successfully uses appropriate technology that is sustainable for local needs. Students support their WASH programs, which includes water, sanitation, and hygiene systems.
ENERGETICA – COCHABAMBA, BOLIVIA
Energetica is an energy development institute that promotes a greater and more rational use of energy in Bolivia. Their goal is to become an active reference institution on issues of sustainable energy and energy equity. They do this through formulation and execution of policies and strategies that promote economic competitiveness.
ETTA PROJECTS - SANTA CRUZ, BOLIVIA
Etta Projects is dedicated to public health in rural Bolivia. The organization collaborates with communities, creating sustainable solutions to improve health, sanitation, and clean water access. Etta Projects' programs include hygiene and sanitation (dry composting latrines and water distribution systems) and training of community health and sanitation promoters. Etta Projects reaches remote communities that lack access to health services, and often lack running water, sanitation systems, electricity, and transportation to access emergency care.
FUNDACIÓN CHAMINADE - SANTIAGO, CHILE
Fundación Chaminade is a nonprofit founded in 1995 in the San Miguel community of Santiago, Chile, whose focus is on children, youth and their families, and educators. Committed to the Marianist pedagogy tradition, they promote quality education that supports service, peace and justice, and the integration of necessary changes for societal improvement.
Funprobo provides prosthetics to low-income Bolivians. The prosthetics are built from scratch in their workshops, and all materials are bought and sourced locally. Funprobo supplies above and below knee prosthesis and is beginning to explore working with 3D printers to create upper limb prosthetics. In addition, the organization provides psychological and physiotherapeutic support to those who are given new limbs to help them build confidence and flourish in their new lives.
GHANA CLIMATE INNOVATION CENTER, ASHESI UNIVERSITY – ACCRA, GHANA
Ashesi University is a private liberal arts college offering 4-year bachelor degree programs that has established its reputation as a leader in undergraduate education in Africa. Ghana Climate Innovation Center, based at Ashesi University’s campus, supports entrepreneurs building climate change solutions for Ghana’s green economy. Funded through a grant from the World Bank Group and partners, GCIC is a green project incubation hub where entrepreneurs and startup ventures can access support to develop their innovative ideas into strong and viable businesses. Their thematic areas include energy efficiency, water and sanitation, and climate-smart agriculture.
GRUPO FENIX – SABANA GRANDE, NICARAGUA
Grupo Fenix is a sustainable organization working with appropriate and innovative technologies to improve the quality of life of rural communities in the areas of health, education, employment, environment, and gender equity. Their mission is to enable community development and empowerment by facilitating technological and cultural exchanges.
Minvayu designs, builds and sells affordable small wind turbines for people living in rural India. They also offer training programs for village mechanics, manufacturers and trainers. Their goal is to make electricity more accessible to 98 million rural Indians through wind power.
ORGANIZATION FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE - MYSORE, INDIA
Organization for the Development of People (ODP) is intended for integrated human development of the socially and economically disadvantaged, the underprivileged, and the marginalized sections of Mysore society. Students work with farmers as well as manufacturers and community members to help them learn how to improve their standard of living. Their programs include women empowerment, natural resource management, livelihood enhancement, capacity building, health and sanitation, and research and development.
GRUPO APOYO OF THE PONTIFICA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA DEL PERÚ (PUCP) – LIMA, PERÚ
Grupo Apoyo is a nonprofit organization that carries out sustainable development projects in energy, water, agriculture and housing to improve the quality of life of rural populations. They work with biomass, wind, hydraulic, and solar energies. Grupo is part of the Catholic Pontifical University of Peru, established in 1917, and ranked one of the top universities in Peru. They support this through academic and institutional leadership, democratic values, human rights and development, and promotion of responsible use of natural resources and the environment.
ROCKETWORKS – DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA
RocketWorks supplies high-quality, efficient and cost effective multi-fuel gasifying rocket stoves to people around the world. The stoves reduce the quantity of wood required for cooking, make cooking safer and reduce emissions. Recently, students assisted in building a tobacco barn for drying tobacco in a more efficient manner using a prototype gasifier.
SOLAR ELECTRIC LIGHT FOUNDATION - BANGALORE, INDIA
Solar Electric Light Foundation (SELCO) has played an instrumental role in improving living standards in rural India through providing solar energy solutions to the poor. SELCO’s key features include creating products based on end user needs, installation and after-sales services, and standardized financing packages. Recently, Ethos students worked on a solar-powered aeroponics system to combat issues of lack of proper access to electricity.
SONLIGHT POWER - CINCINNATI, OHIO
SonLight Power designs and builds solar energy solutions the world’s most underserved children, families, and communities. From schools, medical clinics, orphanages, community centers, churches, water-pumping stations in remote locations, SonLight brings clean electricity for the first time to thousands around the world. SonLight is the partner for the Ethos Center Graduate Service Program, providing opportunities for student service in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and beyond.
The Tandana Foundation supports a wide variety of community initiatives and projects in Ecuador's Otavalo Canton. The foundation's goal is to create and nurture respectful and responsible relationships among people of different cultures. Ethos students put their engineering knowledge and skills to work on community-led infrastructure projects.
We work with organizations across the country committed to the development of sustainable technologies, renewable energy, appropriate land-use, and community development.
One of the core values of the Ethos program is partnership. We work with organizations across the country committed to the development of sustainable technologies, renewable energy, appropriate land-use, and community development. Our previous, recent, and current domestic partner organizations include the following:
APROVECHO - COTTAGE GROVE, OREGON
Aprovecho is a non-profit organization whose community of educators is a regional resource for researching, demonstrating, and educating the public on techniques and strategies of sustainable living. Their mission is “Living, Learning, Organizing, and Educating to Inspire a Sustainable Culture.” Thirty years after its founding, the center serves as an inspiration for the hundreds of students, visitors, and volunteers who make use of its facilities.
BARUCH MARINE FIELD LABORATORY - GEORGETOWN, SOUTH CAROLINA
Baruch Marine Field Laboratory (BMFL) supports research and education to improve the management of marine and coastal resources. BMFL is part of the Belle W. Baruch Institute for Marine and Coastal Sciences, which is hosted by the University of South Carolina. Key projects that Ethos interns would be involved with are assisting local impoverished communities with green infrastructure engineering and construction, including rain gardens, outdoor classrooms, rainwater collection, and community gardens. Ethos interns will also be part of the Greening BMFL projects that involve decreasing the CO2 footprint of the seawater system, designing and implementing rainwater collection, composting, and raised bed gardening as a demonstration project.
BETHLEHEM FARM - ALDERSON, WEST VIRGINIA
Bethlehem Farm is Catholic Community in Appalachia that transforms lives through service with the local community and the teaching of sustainable practices. Bethlehem Farm's focus is on social justice and the cornerstones of community, simplicity, prayer, and service. Students serve the surrounding community, learn about and from the people of Appalachia, and experience ways of practicing and living a sustainable life. Ethos students engage in projects that advance sustainability efforts and infrastructure (on the farm), and home repair infrastructure (in the community) while engaging with groups of volunteers who visit for week-long service retreat experiences.
BLUE ROCK STATION – PHILO, OHIO
Blue Rock Station’s objective is to merge engineering, art, and re-use of existing materials. Blue Rock demonstrates a series of alternative building techniques and sustainable ways of living. Projects at the station include earthship buildings, straw bale structures, cord wood structures and much more. Blue Rock also has a series of garden projects.
BIG LAUREL LEARNING CENTER – KERMIT, WEST VIRGINIA
The Big Laurel Learning Center is a traditional mountain community that inspires celebration, education, and volunteerism as tools to promote healing and social change by providing education, outreach, and spiritual renewal, in solidarity with the people of southern West Virginia.
BURN DESIGN LAB – VASHON ISLAND, WASHINGTON
Burn Design Lab (BDL) is an improved cookstove research institution with experience in numerous types of home and institutional biomass-fueled cookstoves. BDL combines design, lab, and field testing in both local manufacturing, as well as in different countries to develop their products for a more sustainable tomorrow. Design and build efficient, durable, and culturally appropriate cookstoves through student projects focused on testing, CAD modeling, and prototyping. Engage virtually with manufacturers in low-resourced African communities.
HEART OF UNLIMITED BOUNDARIES (THE HUB) - WEST LIBERTY, OHIO
The HUB promotes meaningful relationships and a high quality of life for people of all abilities and from all backgrounds. The HUB empowers individuals with special needs through innovative and effective, person-centered, experiences that focus on go-karting and other driving experiences.
RICH EARTH INSTITUTE – BRATTLEBORO, VERMONT
Rich Earth Institute transforms the waste we all produce into a resource we all need. Through their Urine Nutrient Reclamation Project, they develop tools and technologies necessary for the collection, treatment, and agricultural reuse of urine to use as fertilizer for a more sustainable world. Ethos student projects focus on testing and improving urine collection/treatment systems and urine-based fertilizer research and development.
We partner with local nonprofit groups to give our students the opportunity to put their engineering knowledge and skills to use for the betterment of their community.
One of the core values of the Ethos program is partnership. We partner with local nonprofit groups to give our students the opportunity to put their engineering knowledge and skills to use for the betterment of their community. Our previous, recent, and current community partners in the greater Dayton area include the following:
AULLWOOD AUDUBON CENTER AND FARM
Aullwood promotes the protection of birds, wildlife and the habitats on which they depend. Aullwood offers both children and adults the opportunity to experience and appreciate the world through experience-based education.
CityWide Development is a non-profit organization located in downtown Dayton whose mission is to strengthen Dayton through strategic economic and community development. CityWide develops programs to address the city's need for economic growth and viable, attractive neighborhoods. Ethos students have worked on projects regarding food insecurity in low-income areas, such as planning mobile-farm markets.
Co-op Dayton incubates cooperative businesses to create and retain good jobs in the region, building a local economy that works for all. Projects that Co-op Dayton are developing include the Gem City Market, a worker and member-owned full service grocery store in West Dayton. Ethos students engage in research and design, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and makerspace projects that support the growing number of co-ops (worker-owned) companies. Students have been involved in the development of the Gem City Market and surveying local manufacturers about their interest in transitioning to employee-ownership as a succession plan or growth strategy.
DAYTON EARLY COLLEGE ACADEMY (DECA) HIGH SCHOOL MAKERLAB
DECA High was founded in 2003 as Ohio's first early college high school. Located on the University of Dayton campus, our program offers students from the city of Dayton a one-of-a kind opportunity to excel academically and succeed in their goal of graduating from college. Ethos students engage with teachers and high school students on projects to expand DECA’s Makerspace and to create educational opportunities connected with “making”.
Dayton Regional Green (DRG) is a leadership collaborative committed to enhancing the quality of life and environmental assets of the Dayton region by growing the economy, protecting the environment, and promoting social responsibility. DRG reaches these goals through green business certifications, sustainability workshops, energy assessments for organizations in the program, and other initiatives.
MetroParks protects nearly 16,000 acres of forests, grasslands, farmlands, and wetlands. Five Rivers MetroParks’ land protection goals include protecting significant natural area in the Miami Valley, linking forests and park lands along river corridors, and establishing buffer areas to maintain open space and protect watersheds. Ethos students help protect the region’s natural heritage and advance eco-friendly smart parks through projects focused on sustainability (energy efficiency, waste reduction, environmentally safe products, and more).
Homefull offers nonprofit services for the homeless to help people secure homes and jobs, assisting over 600 people daily. The organization also provides case management and programming for the gateway shelter system. One project that Ethos students have worked on is the development of flood management systems for the organization's urban microfarm.
THE MAKERSPACE (SUBSET OF CO-OP DAYTON)
The Westside makerspace project is one of Co-op Dayton's specific initiatives. The Makerspace is a place where community members of all ages can learn, create, and collaborate together to design, repair, and make their own goods and structures. The Makerspace offers various classes but also provides open hours where the community can come in and work on their own projects!
Miami Conservancy District (MCD) is a pioneering organization at the forefront of flood protection, water stewardship, and recreation since 1915. MCD oversees a system of five dry dams, retarding basins, 55 miles of levees, and preserved floodplain to provide flooding protection in the region. Ethos students are involved in bike trail, dam, and levee infrastructure projects, water quality studies and creation of a new open data platform for GIS data to be viewed by the public.
Mission of Mary Cooperative strives to improve the community life of the Twin Towers neighborhood by engaging in urban agriculture, urban land restoration, and community education. Collaboratively engage in sustainability projects with an urban farm focused on sustainable neighborhood development and growing local food to tackle food insecurity. Projects Ethos students have worked on are energy analysis, energy workshops on sustainability and energy usage, and contributing to an energy access initiative.
THE ARTHUR MORGAN INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS
The Arthur Morgan Institute, located in Yellow Springs, Ohio, seeks to educate people around the world about ways to make their communities more resilient, vital, and capable of withstanding dramatic shifts due to climate and economic disruptions. Our students have worked on projects at Agraria, an educational and research center that explores and demonstrates the benefits of regenerative farming practices at multiple levels—from the environmental, economic, psychological and social, to their impact on human health and well-being. Farmers utilize techniques that focus on regenerating the soil for generations to come.
The Dome, Springfield’s Center of Innovation, pursues connected learning by linking mentors and students in a space rich with new media, maker spaces and educational technology. They are a hub for the creation of our future workforce by engaging local businesses and organizations to build meaningful connections with students.
The Foodbank serves as the primary source of food and hunger relief network in the Miami Valley through food acquisition and distribution and feeding the hungry in Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties. The Foodbank provides the infrastructure for more than 100 member food pantries, community kitchens, and shelters that serve as the charitable hunger relief network in the area.
UNITED REHABILITATION SERVICES
United Rehabilitation Services (URS) is a nonprofit organization and center in Riverside, OH.with the mission to enhance "the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities or other special needs" by providing a variety of specialized programs. For more than 60 years, URS has grown from serving a handful of families to thousands of individuals with developmental and acquired disabilities annually. URS has established a continuum of care with full-day structured programs, offering a variety of goal-centered activities for every stage of life, from infancy through the senior years. URS is intent upon addressing the needs and desires of the people they serve and their families through a person-centered approach. URS is a great placement for Ethos students interested in assistive devices, technology support, and creating STEM activities.
The mission of We Care Arts is to transform physical, developmental, and mental challenges into possibilities through the power of creating and producing art. Through art, participants build confidence, create long-lasting friendships, and express ideas and emotions artistically. We Care Arts serves 1700 clients at more than forty off-site locations within the greater Dayton area. Ethos students have been involved with designing tools to help those with disabilities become more independent.
Dandelion Africa is a female-led Kenyan NGO, founded in 2010 and focused on improving the health and livelihoods of women in rural Kenya. It is rooted in a marginalized area and thus knows rural cultures and social norms as well as the challenges facing the local communities, especially for women, youth and men. To tackle these challenges, we operate programs that provide healthcare, education, empowerment and advocacy to rural communities. Learn more about Dandelion Africa.
The enthusiasm and unwavering commitment the Ethos students exhibited towards devising solutions to complex problems was truly inspiring for everyone on our team. Their exceptional skills and inventive ideas enabled us to tackle our challenges in novel ways, and their invaluable contributions to our programs empowered us to better serve our community.