Projects for Peace

    Apply for a $10,000 grant to implement a summer project that advances peace and conflict resolution anywhere in the world

    Projects for Peace is an invitation to undergraduates (including seniors) at the American colleges and universities in the Davis United World College Scholars Program to design grassroots summer projects that will advance peace anywhere in the world. Through a competition on over 90 campuses, the most promising projects will be selected for funding at $10,000 each.  We expect that one, and possibly two, projects from St. Olaf will receive the award. Final decisions on all grants are made by the Projects for Peace office at Middlebury College.

    Program Description

    About Projects for Peace
    FAQs  — What do you mean by Projects for Peace?
    Former Nationwide Grant Recipients & Proposals

    Davis Projects for Peace Details

    • Project must be implemented during the Summer
    • $10,000 paid to each recipient (to be used for project expenses)
    • Application deadline: Thursday, January 26th, 2023
    • Nate Jacobi, Associate Director, Piper Center for Vocation and Career, and Seth Binder, Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies, are available to provide feedback on your project idea.

    Eligibility

    • Undergraduate students (including seniors who would complete their projects after graduation) are eligible
    • Strong preference for applicants who will work on the project full-time (or close to it) for a minimum of six weeks. Preference for applicants who will devote most of the summer to the project.
    • Students are not eligible to travel to countries with State Department travel warnings (it may be possible to apply for an exemption to this policy if you the applicant is from the country and/or has family members living in the community where the project will take place)
    • Individual students, as well as groups up to 3 students from the same campus may submit proposals.
    • Grants are made upon assurance that the project proposed will, in fact, be undertaken during the summer.

    Requirements for All Projects

    1. Grant recipients will work with the Piper Center to explore strategies for sharing their experience with the St. Olaf community during the fall after the project.
    2. Each funded project must submit a final report by August 30. The final report is to be limited to two pages of narrative using the final report form posted on the website. It also includes a separate one-page accounting of the funds expended. Reports will be posted on the program’s website for all to see and learn from.

    Intentionally, no clear definition is offered so as not to limit the imagination. We leave it up to the students to define what a “project for peace” might be. We hope to encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. The overall program is to be worldwide in scope and impact, but specific projects may be implemented in the United States or abroad.

    Interested applicants are encouraged to start developing their projects well in advance of the deadline and to discuss their project ideas with Nate Jacobi, Senior Associate Director in the Piper Center for Vocation and Career or Seth Binder, Associate Professor of Economics and Environmental Studies. Coaching appointments with Nate can be scheduled by logging in to Handshake.

    How to Apply

    Submit the following documents on-line via Handshake by Thursday, January 26th, 2023 (see instructions below).

    1. Complete a two-page proposal. This should be a typed Word document which describes the project (who, what, where, how) including expected outcomes and prospects for future impact.
    2. Complete a one-page budget.
    3. Complete a supplemental application. 
    4. Apply through Handshake — Projects for Peace 2023
      Apply for the position and upload the three required documents as the Cover Letter, Transcript and Other Documents in Handshake.
    Evaluation Criteria
    • degree of impact (promote peace and address the root causes of conflict)
    • feasibility/likelihood that the project will be completed as described
    • demonstration of creativity and innovation
    • level of contribution from the applicant and connection with his or her skills, experience and interests
    • low potential for negative impact

    Questions? Contact Nate Jacobi, Senior Associate Director, Piper Center for Vocation & Career, at jacobi@stolaf.edu

    Assistance uploading documents is available at the Piper Center, located in Tomson 270.