Humanitarian engineering project brings real-world impact to Bundaberg classroom
CQUniversity’s Engineering students are changing lives of young people at Kepnock State High School in Bundaberg, through innovative solutions to support their participation in class.
CQU Engineering and Kepnock State High School partnered on a student-led project through the CQU Humanitarian Engineering Project. The results were revealed at the Humanitarian Engineering Exchange on 30 October in Bundaberg.
CQU Engineering student Hope Finn said after meeting with the school, she and her fellow students Amelie Espinoza and Milly Latcham identified a student at the school who, due to their vision impairment, had a lot of difficulty playing team sports and getting involved with their health and physical education class.
“The student we spoke with had trouble spotting smaller objects or objects in motion and we found that adding retroreflective high-visibility materials were able to make the difference and for him to be able to see and interact with those objects,” Hope said.
“Most sporting goods use fluorescent hi-vis, which does not work as well indoors or on moving objects. Retroreflective tape is cheap, easy to access, easy to apply and so was a fantastic solution to implement.
“It was a great chance to gain some real-world experience, along with the confidence that goes with successfully addressing a challenge. Things like stakeholder engagement or securing manufacturing is something we often discuss in theory, but actually getting to handle those tasks made me aware of new challenges and gave me invaluable experience in addressing them.”
Amelie said as a past Kepnock student, it was “great to be able to go back to her high school and help other students have a positive high school experience”.
“Humanitarian engineering focuses so much on community and empathy, ensuring that solutions are targeted to the specific stakeholders and will be successfully adopted and accepted,” she said.
“This is such a big part of engineering, as people are going to be the ones utilising the design, product etcetera. Knowing these principles and learning how to apply them in a community context will create better engineers and allow for more meaningful impact within the community.”
While Hope and Amelie ran the health and physical aspect of the project, Milly Latcham focused on the student’s numeracy and literacy needs as they didn’t read braille.
“I handled the numeracy and literacy side and designed and built a modifiable tactile keyboard so he could learn to type and complete online work independently. Typing is an important skill to have, and we really wanted to make a difference for the student in the classroom and later in life,” she said.
“The student can now use the keyboard to type and participate with his peers, which has given him more independence in class. The teachers also have something they can keep and adapt for other students in the future. I think the project also helped raise awareness at the school about accessibility and inclusive design.
“It was good to work on something hands-on rather than purely theoretical. Being back at my old school also made the project more personal. I learned a lot about working with different stakeholders and designing based on real feedback.”
CQU Associate Professor Engineering (Civil & Humanitarian) Lead Shameen Jinadasa said The Humanitarian Engineering Exchange 2025 brings together students, researchers, industry partners, and community stakeholders to share experiences and explore innovative solutions.
“This event highlights outcomes from CQU’s Civil with Humanitarian Engineering major, sharing the importance of humanitarian engineering in addressing real-world challenges through collaboration, creativity, and inclusivity,” Assoc Prof Jinadasa said.
“The program features projects on assistive technologies for high school students, research insights on local humanitarian challenges, and an expert panel discussion with diverse perspectives on future humanitarian opportunities. By showcasing these initiatives, the Exchange aims to strengthen partnerships and inspire a new generation of engineers committed to meaningful social impact and sustainable futures.”
Learn more about CQU’s Engineering course.
Whether starting out or looking to advance or cross-skill, study an engineering course at CQUniversity and unlock a world of possibilities.
