Projects for Peace

As a participating college of the Davis United World Scholars Program, Westminster College has been given the opportunity to participate in the Projects for Peace program since 2007. Due to this generous funding, Westminster students have had the opportunity to travel and perform service projects all over the nation and world including, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Nepal, to name a few.

Kathyn Wasserman Davis is the funder of the Davis Foundation Projects for Peace program and used the occasion of her 100th birthday in 2007 to initiate the program. Mrs. Davis commented, "I want to use my 100th birthday to help young people launch some immediate initiatives - things that they can do during the summer of 2007 - that will bring new thinking to the prospects of peace in the world." Her daughter, Shelby M.C. Davis, funds the Davis UWC Scholars Program currently involving over 90 American colleges and universities, including Westminster College. Mrs. Davis has committed one million dollars each year since 2007 to fund numerous $10,000 Projects for Peace initiatives. She believes that today's youth are tomorrow's leaders and should be challenged to initiate and implement their own ideas for building peace in the world.

How to Apply:

Students at Westminster College undergo an application process in early January to be eligible for project selection. The Projects for Peace campus committee selects finalists to be recommended to the Davis Foundation for funding. The Davis Foundation then selects projects for funding in mid-March. All projects are completed over the summer of that year. Past projects included, health needs assessment, greenhouse construction, arts program in local school, and water purification implementation.

For more information on Westminster College Projects for Peace, contact advisor Kiva Nice-Webb or visit the website: davisprojectsforpeace.org.

2012
"Useless to Useful: Branding the Lives of Street Children"
Location: Ethiopia
Project Leaders: Mulu Gebrekidan '14 and Riley Zull '13

2011
"Making Lives Better"
Location: Nepal
Project Leaders: Sneha Bhandari '13 and Pradipti Rajbhandari '12
"Making Lives Better" Blog and Facebook group

2010
"Ethiopian Children's Library for a Peaceful and Prosperous Generation"
Location: Ethiopia
Project Leaders: Derick Dailey '11, Behailu Bekera '11, Eyob Demeke '10
Facebook group

"Solar Panels in Pakistan"
Location: Pakistan
Project Leader: Hassaan Sipra '10

"Renovation for Peace"
Location: Nepal
Project Leaders: Kaustabh Thapa '10, Ashish Rana '11, Joseph Kowalski (Clark University '10), Anuj Adhikary (Clark University '10)
(Clark University sponsored group)

2009
"Growing a Future for Peace"
Location: Trinidad/Tobago
Project Leaders: Sera-Leigh Ghouralal '11, Matthias McCurren '11, Edinson Arrietta '10, Andres Veintimilla-Torres '10

2008
"P4: Pioneering Perpetual Partnerships for Peace"
Location: Rwanda
Project Leaders: Scott Oldebeken '09, Gina Campagna '09, Clayton Jordan '09, Samantha Richman '11

"Education: the Master Negotiator for Peace"
Location: Swaziland
Project Leader: Sithembile Mabila '09

2007
"Interfaith Youth Experience"
Location: Missouri
Project Leaders: Gina Campagna '09 and Felipe Cordero '09

"Refugees in the Making of Peace"
Location: Colombia
Project Leaders: Edinson Arrietta '10, Shauna Aminath '08, Mohamed Shakir '10, Felipe Cordero '09, Gustavo Godinez '10, Matthew Lowell '10

"Healing the Souls Through Art"
Location: Thailand
Project Leaders: Janepicha Cheva-Isarakul '08, Julio Noguera '08, Brianna Andrade '08, Courtney Richter '08, Brittany Doscher '09