Projects for Peace
Every year, one undergraduate student or a team of students from GW is awarded a $10,000 grant to implement a summer Project for Peace (Learn More), typically between May and August. The application deadline for next year's project (Summer of 2027) is November 11th, 2026.
The program encourages young adults to develop innovative, community-centered, and scalable responses to the world’s most pressing issues. Along the way, these student leaders increase their knowledge, improve their skills, and begin to see themselves as agents of change.
GW students are invited to design grassroots projects that promote peace and address the root causes of conflict in a particular community anywhere in the world. Applicants should use their creativity to address the root causes of conflict among parties, focusing on conflict prevention, resolution, and reconciliation. These projects must be implemented during the summer immediately following acceptance of the grant and may take place anywhere in the world (pending GW approval).
Projects selected will receive a $10,000 grant to advance their ideas for building peace. You may submit as an individual or as a group of GW students. You may also raise funding from other sources to advance the project.
- Students must be enrolled in GW at the time of application and nomination.
- U.S. or international students are eligible.
- Students may be of any age, any major, or any year in school: this includes seniors who intend to complete their projects in the summer after graduation.
- Students may implement the project alone or with others.
- Students must submit a letter of support from their community partner organization(s); i.e. non-profits, NGOs, community groups, schools, clinics, or advocacy and civic organizations.
- The project may take place anywhere in the world, including in the U.S.
This initiative is part of a $1 million endowment in honor of the late Kathryn W. Davis, an accomplished philanthropist, and advocate for peace. You must address each question in this application and provide an additional budget and timeline using the templates provided. The narrative part of the application should focus on how your project is connecting to conflict resolution and peacebuilding in your selected community.
Deadline: November 11, 2026
Looking for Inspiration?
Check out the Project Archive of all the previous winning projects!
Projects for Peace Archive - Across Universities
2026 Projects for Peace Winner
Sonse Ransibrahmanakul
Architecting Technical Innovations for the Peacemakers to Regain Their Inner Peace
This project resolved longstanding technical gaps for Island Dolphin Care (IDC) in the Florida Keys, an organization providing therapeutic recovery to veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and children with disabilities. Using a two pronged technical approach featuring a modernized cloud SQL database to eliminate legacy manual data entry followed by a "Therapy Without Walls" Virtual Reality portal, the project worked directly with IDC’s leadership to streamline facility operations and expand remote access.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 27 percent of veterans from recent conflicts return home fighting a private war with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The project expanded the reach of the organization and modernizes its operational capacity to foster long-term peace:
Therapy Without Walls: A Virtual Reality (VR) portal designed to bring the healing environment of the lagoon to bedbound veterans and children who cannot physically access the facility.
Relational Sanctuary Database: A modernized SQL system that replaces analog record-keeping with digital tracking for animal and client health, bridging critical operational gaps.
Digital Impact Storytelling: Professional media products designed to amplify the voices of participants, ensuring long-term donor engagement and institutional sustainability. This initiative leverages my professional experience as a videographer to produce high quality content that ensures long term donor engagement and institutional sustainability.
2025 Projects for Peace Winner
Nomonde Shongwe
The Pad Project
This project addressed the challenge of period poverty in Alexandra Township, South Africa, where young girls often lack access to affordable menstrual products. In partnership with The Pad Princess, Mabutsirane Foundation, a hospital nurse, an occupational therapist, and several university student volunteers, the project combined the distribution of reusable pads with hands-on workshops teaching girls how to make their own. By engaging directly with the community, the initiative created a safe space for education, empowerment, and open conversation.
The project was created in response to Nomonde’s lived experience in South Africa, where a lack of menstrual products often kept girls out of school. Recognizing that period poverty is not only a health issue but also one of education, confidence, and equity, the project was designed to address both immediate needs and long-term empowerment.
Over the summer of 2025, the team lead by Nomonde conducted seven workshops across seven weeks, reaching approximately 60 girls per session. Supported by teachers, nurses, an occupational therapist, and university volunteers, each session combined menstrual health education with practical pad-making training. Workshops also included discussions on breaking stigma, managing hygiene, and building self-confidence. For many participants, it was the first time they had spoken openly about menstruation in a supportive environment.
Stories from OTHER Grant Recipients
2024 Winners | Not Just a Number: GW Students Amplify Voices of Ukrainian Refugees and NGOs
Undergraduates Nataliya Layer, Lydia Miller, Liana Moldovanu, and Anja Ree spent six weeks in Eastern Europe documenting the human toll of war through personal narratives.
2023 Winner | Innovative Senior Fights against Gender-Based Discrimination in Puerto Rico
2019 Projects for Peace Winner: Chloe King
Promoting Peace Through Women’s Economic Empowerment in Timor-Leste
2022 Projects for Peace Winner: Emily Zhang
Building Bonds Through Books for the Incarcerated in Washington D.C.