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Knapp Fellowship for Entrepreneurial Service-Learning

 

“Our hope is that this award will help students make a difference. Since arriving at GW, we have been struck by our students’ passion for changing the world and by the imaginative and intellectually serious way in which they harness that passion by developing concrete, innovative projects.”

— President Emeritus Stephen Knapp

 

Steven and Diane Robinson Knapp established the Knapp Fellowship for Entrepreneurial Service-Learning at The George Washington University to recognize, reward, and facilitate creative public service and academic engagement. Selected undergraduate or graduate students design and implement entrepreneurial service-learning projects that make a significant difference in the lives of others. Selected Knapp Fellows work with the Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service and a faculty member advisor to implement projects in collaboration with other students and/or community partners. Fellowship projects are conducted over the course of an academic year (beginning in summer or fall to no later than June 30th of the following year).

One or more Knapp Fellowship awards, ranging from $2,500 to $10,000 are distributed annually.

Knapp Fellowship projects should integrate scholarly work in the student’s discipline with the design and implementation of the service project. Projects should also involve collaboration with a local community organization or community members, and be heavily informed by their knowledge and experience. These projects are substantial and rely on Fellows having prior experience working with their community partner and/or the social issue. Knapp Fellows also receive professional development opportunities, preparing them to work with community partners and/or faculty members who are subject experts. Additionally, faculty advisors may receive funding for their role as advisors to selected Fellow(s).

 

Apply for the Knapp Fellowship

 

Deadlines and Dates to Remember

GW undergraduate and graduate students, working individually or in teams, are encouraged to apply.

  • Step 1: Contact Ayman Rahman for an initial advising meeting at [email protected]
  • Step 2: Submit a proposal by Friday, May 23rd, 2025
  • Step 3: Finalists are contacted and prepare presentations to a review panel
  • Step 4: Selected Knapp Fellows implement their scholarly work and community project in the 2025/2026 academic year

 

How to Apply to the Knapp Fellowship

Previous Knapp Fellows

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Meet Our 2024-25 Knapp Fellows

Kristen Rodrigues


 
Kristen is a second year master's student in Public Health with a concentration in Community Oriented Primary Care at the Milken Institute School of Public Health.

 
Project title: TRANS-CARE: Transgender Male Cervical Cancer Awareness and Reproductive Education Program
 
Transgender men (TM) face higher risks of late-stage cervical cancer (CC) due to low screening rates, often caused by barriers like lack of knowledge, non-affirming healthcare, gender dysphoria, and discrimination. To address this, she will create an online CC awareness campaign tailored to TM in the DMV area, ensuring it is culturally aligned and destigmatizing by centering their voices. She is partnering with Whitman-Walker and Community Expert Solutions to provide valuable expertise on TM health disparities and insights for sustainability. 
 

An Nguyen


 
An is a PhD Candidate from the Translational Health Sciences program at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
 
Project title: Adapting a Caregiver Training Program to Facilitate Hospital-to-Home Transitions for Older Adults with Dementia

By collaborating with caregivers, medical interpreters, and occupational therapists, the project aims to enhance support for patients and caregivers with limited English proficiency. It will assess the potential of improving transitional care for dementia patients and their caregivers during hospital-to-home transitions. The project will explore leveraging new health technologies like telehealth to bridge research and implementation gaps, with the goal of adapting and evaluating the Home Environmental Skills-Building Program (ESP) in partnership with Cedars-Sinai.

 

Riley Lima


 
Riley is a Bachelor of Science in Public Health student at Milken Institute School of Public Health in her junior year.
 
Project title: School-based Asthma Telehealth (SAT) Intervention & Research Study
 
As a Public Health major at GW, her fellowship focuses on health equity in DC. Her project aims to make asthma education and controller medications equally accessible to pediatric patients in SE DC as they are in NW DC. The funding supports virtual meetings with an asthma educator and physician at the IMPACT DC clinic via telehealth for 20 children at no cost along with an education and awareness campaign. Eligible participants are those within two weeks of an ED visit or hospitalization for an asthma attack, or by referral. The goal is to reduce ED readmissions and improve outcomes for asthmatic children in SE DC in collaborating with Children's National.
 

Meet Our 2023-24 Knapp FellowS!

 

CHECK OUT OUR 2022-23 ANNUAL REPORT!

 

Apply for the Knapp Fellowship