I am interested in helping with urban development of third world countries

Hi Julie!

A good place to start would be to look for local chapters of the US Green Building Council or Engineers without Borders (EWB). The US GBC is the body that determines the criteria for the most utilized green building standard measurement, Leadership in Energy & Engineering Design (LEED). EWB's mission is to provide students with hands on experience bringing necessary upgrades to infrastructure in third world countries. My understanding is that the projects are mostly related to clean water & sanitation because those are critical needs for many rural villages. You may also take a look at the research interests of some of your professors to see if they're doing research in the area you are interested in. Don't be afraid to look beyond the engineering school, as a professor with an architectural or building construction background may also be able to provide you with some resources too.

As for skills to learn, many civil engineers need to be comfortable working in AutoCad or Microstation or GIS. If you're able to get free versions of the programs, I recommend taking some time to work through tutorials so you are somewhat familiar with the program & their capabilities. I also recommend that you attend any American Society of Civil Engineers meetings on campus where a company is presenting to learn more about the projects they're working on.