An initiative that provided a practical and humanitarian training for IEEE PES Students during their participation in the IEEE PES ISGT LA 2019

The IEEE PES ISGT LA 2019 Conference selected 32 IEEE PES students from 11 different nationalities and 23 PES SB to receive the Student Travel Award (STA), which is based on financial support that covers Conference’s housing and registration fees. The main objective of this support is enabling the student’s participation in an international event, providing experiences to these young people, with the opportunity to develop a great networking and, principally, a strong cultural exchange.

Taken advantage of the presence of these 32 students during the IEEE PES ISGT LA 2019, the IEEE PES UFSM Student Chapter, in partnership with the IEEE PES Chapters Students Activities Committee (CSAC), organized an IEEE Humanitarian Event, the IEEE PES Lighting for Humanity. This project was financially supported by the IEEE HAC, as well counted on the Liter of Light Organization, IEEE South Brazil Section and IEEE UFSM Student Branch as partners supporters.

The IEEE PES Lighting for Humanity Event was based on a several panel sessions and on a practical training, all aligned with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The panel sessions looked to introduce IEEE humanitarian opportunities offered by IEEE HAC, SIGHT, CSAC and WiP, counting on the following speakers:

• Guadalupe Gonzalez, PES WIP Regional Representative
• Konrad Kork, IEEE PES UFSM Chair & IEEE PES Lighting for Humanity Coordinator
• Leonardo Uematsu, Liter of Light NGO Operation and Technologies VP
• Shaikh Fattah, IEEE HAC Education Committee chair & PES HAC Chair
• Thiago Alencar, PES CSAC Chair & IEEE HAC Education Committee Member

The practical training was provided by the Liter of Light NGO, an organization that develops poles and lampions in a sustainable way, utilizing plastic bottles, solar panels and LED lamps, applying it in communities with a restricted or non-access to electrical energy. The Liter of Light idea has gained strength through its characteristic in be a cheap, sustainable and clean solution for these locals that have not access to electrical energy, a very common reality in Brazil, due to its long extension. During this humanitarian training, kits of poles and lampions were built by the STA students, as well they were able to understand the impact that the light can provide to a community that has no access to energy.

Once that the IEEE PES Lighting for Humanity was held on the first day of the IEEE PES ISGT LA 2019, during the rest of the Conference days, the results of this initiative were exposed on the IEEE UFSM Student Branch Stand.

The main purpose of this event was to motivate and inspire IEEE PES students to design new activities and projects in a way that may provide a humanitarian impact on their local communities. As well, this event is one of the first steps that PES Brazil is doing in the direction that looks to open a SIGHT group.

Konrad Erich Kork Schmitt
IEEE PES UFSM Student Chapter Chair
IEEE PES Lighting for Humanity Event Coordinator
konradkorkschmitt@ieee.org
Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM)
Santa Maria, Brazil

Augusto Zanin Bertoletti
IEEE PES UFSM Student Chapter Vice-Chair
IEEE PES Lighting for Humanity Event Vice-Coordinator
augustozb@ieee.org
Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM)
Santa Maria, Brazil

Thiago Ribeiro de Alencar
IEEE PES HAC Young Professional representative in R1-10
IEEE PES Lighting for Humanity Event Lecture
ribeiro.alencar@gmail.com
São Paulo, Brazil