What is HTB and SIGHT?
The IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) mission is to support impactful and ethically informed volunteer-led initiatives, programs and projects, and mutually beneficial partnerships, as well as to inform policy formulation that harness technology and innovation to address societal challenges (including disaster recovery) in a responsive, effective, and sustainable way.
The IEEE Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT) is a global network of groups consisting of IEEE members and volunteers who identify and address local problems by applying their technical skills and partnering with their local communities.
What about SIGHT groups?
SIGHT groups consist of at least six IEEE members who come together to learn about sustainable development, build relationships within their local communities, and implement SIGHT group projects that utilize technology to tackle key problems within the community. Non-IEEE members are welcome and encouraged to join their local SIGHT group. Groups can be formed at the professional or university level. SIGHT Group’s main purpose is to partner with underserved communities and local organizations to leverage technology for sustainable development.
In order for a SIGHT Group to be considered as active, the following requirements should be followed:
- Membership: Should maintain a membership of not fewer than six (6) IEEE members.
- Activities: Should hold not less than two (2) Group activities per year reported in vTools Events.
- Leadership: Should hold elections regularly and report any changes in vTools Officers.
Learning Resources
The IEEE Learning Network (ILN) is the online website for discovering continuing education from across IEEE. With hundreds of educational courses available—and more added all the time—ILN offers the latest in continuing education in engineering, technology, and more. IEEE HTB & SIGHT have developed an educational curriculum on Humanitarian Technology and Sustainable Development at IEEE that is housed on the ILN. There are 6 different modules, and it is tailored for busy IEEE members, each module should take only 20 – 30 minutes to complete.
The Engineering for Change (E4C) is a hybrid organization with three integrated arms: An online academy, innovation lab, and a media platform. E4C’s mission is to improve the lives of underserved communities by better preparing the global development workforce, optimizing the solutions development cycle, and ensuring public health and safety. E4C in collaboration with IEEE has developed a learning framework and courses for Introduction to Engineering for Global Development.
An integral part of IEEE HTB’s strategic mission is to offer educational resources and training to equip IEEE members and volunteers to impact their local communities through sustainable development activities. Webinars are one way that SIGHT members can learn new ideas, grow their professional acumen, and connect with an extended community of engineers affecting sustainable change around the world.
Awards and Recognition
The IEEE Region 8 Outstanding Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group of the Year Award was established to recognize the essential work of the existing section / student branch SIGHT groups in Region 8, but also to promote and encourage sections / student branches to create SIGHT groups. The purpose of this award is to recognize a Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group who has made an outstanding contribution to IEEE SIGHT and to the local underserved community by leveraging technology to accomplish a sustainable solution.
The IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award was established to recognize IEEE SIGHT Groups committed to impacting their local underserved community through the development or deployment of technology.
The IEEE SIGHT Volunteer of the Year Award was established to recognize a professional or student member of IEEE who has made an outstanding contribution to IEEE SIGHT and a local underserved community through the development or deployment of technology.