Society of Women Engineers
University of Wisconsin-Madison

International Outreach

Mission:

The International Outreach program strives to empower women and teach the fundamentals of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) around the globe while allowing its members to develop leadership skills and gain cultural awareness.

What is International Outreach?

The International Outreach program organizes a bi-yearly trip abroad to volunteer, promote women’s empowerment, and teach STEM. Founded in summer 2018, SWE members traveled to Jodhpur, India and Kampala, Uganda before the pandemic!

International Outreach gives its members opportunities to…

  • Build teamwork and leadership skills
  • Meet new people and make friends
  • Develop a global perspective and learn about new cultures
  • Travel
  • Volunteer
  • Have fun!

Email Olivia D’Souza at odsouza@wisc.edu if you have any questions!

SWE Abroad 2019

Meet the 2022-23 International Outreach Chair!

Olivia D’Souza

Hi everyone! My name is Olivia D’Souza, and I am an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science major. I love to visit coffee shops around town or catch a movie with friends! When I’m not working on homework or Badgerloop, you can find me running on the Lakeshore path, in a group fitness class at the Nick, or reading in a quiet spot somewhere on campus. I have been involved with SWE since the beginning of my freshman year and I am so excited to continue as the SWEIO officer this year! We have tons of opportunities for involvement coming up so be on the look out for sign-ups!!
Learn More About Olivia!

A Look Back at 2021 SWE International Outreach: Pandemic Edition

Although SWEIO was unable to travel this past year due to the global pandemic, our SWE chapter has been keeping in close contact with both organizations we have traveled to in the past! Currently, we are maintaining a pen pal relationship with 10 of the girls at the Sambhali Trust in India. It has been wonderful to get to know these girls and learn about their culture – this experience will make it so much more meaningful when we are finally able to visit the Sambhali Trust again in the future. SWEIO has also been helping raise money and set up fundraisers for both the Sambhali Trust and Mutima Outreach (Uganda) so we can continue having a positive impact on these from across the planet!

Looking forward, we have elected not to travel again this 2021-2022 school year because the pandemic still seems to be having huge effects across the globe. Because of this, we will continue raising money and corresponding with our pen pals virtually! Hopefully, we will be able to travel once again in the 2022-2023 school year, but we are still thrilled to be able to make an international impact virtually throughout the pandemic!

In addition to their volunteer work, SWE members also had the opportunity to explore the city of Jodhpur and learn about Indian culture. They tried new foods, bartered in the local market, and visited many of the city’s historical sights. They also spent a weekend in the Thar Desert, a prime place for riding camels or enjoying the sunset with a cup of chai.

All in all, SWE International Outreach is happy to say that its first-ever trip—including the volunteering, learning, and all the long layovers—was a huge success.

To learn more about Sambhali Trust, please visit their website. Donations can be made here.