One of the goals that AguaClara Reach has for working with partners is capacity building within our Implementation Partner organizations. Capacity building is important to the sustainability of the projects that we implement, as our Implementation Partners provide the technical support, project management, and community engagement services that help ensure the longevity of an AguaClara plant.
Recently, Santiago Garcia at Agua Para el Pueblo (APP), our Implementation Partner in Honduras, expressed interest in taking the Safe Water on Tap (SWOT) course that Monroe Weber-Shirk has been teaching at OSU and NJIT since 2022. Staff at APP have been designing and implementing AguaClara water treatment plant projects since the inception of the AguaClara program in 2005, and Santiago felt that a deeper understanding of the processes underlying the technology covered in the SWOT course would benefit them.
To that end, Monroe taught a modified version of the SWOT course geared towards Implementation Partners instead of college students this spring, with course material translated into Spanish (IPSWOT-ES). The course covered the hydraulic processes and fluid mechanics concepts that drive the design and innovation of AguaClara technology, as well as the use of OnShape and the AguaClara Infrastructure Design Engine (AIDE). This information is important for partners to know, so that they can participate in the innovation process, more effectively train plant operators, and perform troubleshooting and maintenance on the plants.
Course schedule for IPSWOT-ES Spring 2023
Aminta Nuñez and Santiago García, both engineers for APP, attended the course virtually. All course sessions were recorded and are available for anyone to view on the AguaClara Reach YouTube channel.
Presentation slide from the flocculation module of the IPSWOT-ES course. Translation of fluid mechanics concepts into Spanish is not an easy task, but a very necessary one!
This adaptation of the SWOT course for APP provides a strong foundation for sharing technical knowledge with our partners. Whether we are working with a new or existing Implementation Partner, there is room at all levels for building capacity and empowering our partner organizations with the tools they need. If you are interested in learning more about AguaClara technology or our organization, please reach out via email or through the AguaClara Reach website.