The Off-Grid Engineer is the problem solver of any team or community. Curriculum for this path centers on water purification using off-grid techniques, basic building concepts using natural construction materials, off-grid power production & storage, metal working (blacksmithing and welding) and adaptive problem solving using limited resources.

If volunteering for Herbal Medics missions, the off-grid engineer must be able to plan the acquisition, transportation and logistics of materials needed to build or teach the concepts at hand. This includes tools (usually hand tools), construction methods, resources and more.

For instance, our off-grid engineers have created slow-sand water filtration systems many times in remote areas (such as remote Nicaragua) using only supplies and resources gathered locally. Gathering and cleaning sand and gravel, making activated charcoal, finding and working with what can be used for storage and piping and building supporting structures are all tasks that the off-grid engineer has to be able to accomplish in a real-world environment.

This is the path that is the backbone of support for any team – not just by helping make tasks more efficient, but also by greatly extending the abilities of the team through sustainable technologies.