Public Service Grant Commission
DO I NEED A COMMUNITY PARTNER?
Yes, all projects proposals must have a community partner organization. You will need to submit a Letter of Support with your application. If you're having trouble finding a partner, let us know!
DO THE PROJECTS NEED TO TAKE PLACE IN D.C.?
Yes, the projects must primarily take place within the Washington D.C Metropolitan area. You can collaborate with another partner at a different location if your project connects both communities.
IF I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, HOW TO ASK FOR HELP?
If you have questions, want to find resources, or need any guidance with your application ahead of the deadlines, set up a meeting at [email protected]. We would also suggest finding a faculty advisor!
Founded in 2009, the Public Service Grant Commission is the Nashman Center’s social innovation fund supporting GW students’ innovative passions for stimulating change in Washington, DC.
The Public Service Grant Commission encourages and cultivates student-led social innovation by providing institutional support to individuals and organizations to carry out innovative, feasible community service programs and ideas.
Grant awards provide financial backing to the ideas of GW students to deliver solutions through projects and initiatives in partnership with Washington, DC area organizations. They range from $500 – $2500 per individual or group project, per deadline.
The earlier you apply, the faster you can make change happen!
deadlines for the 2024-25 academic year
PSGC I (Fall 2024): September 8, 2024
PSGC II (Fall 2024): November 3, 2024
PSGC III (Spring 2025): February 7, 2025
PSGC IV (Spring 2025): March 7, 2025
*You must have a community partner onboard, and the projects must be primarily based in the DC metropolitan area.
The Public Service Grant (PSGC) is awarded 4 times each academic year. If you miss a deadline, apply for the next one!
Note: You have to submit a new application to be considered for each of the deadlines!
GET INSPIRED BY ONGOING STUDENT PROJECTS!
WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE...
Benjamin Cunningham
The Columbian College and The Corcoran School of Art and Design, Double Degree, Program: Fine Arts and Political Science, Graduating 2026
We Know Who They Are... (WKWTA) is an immersive art exhibition presenting 21 Ukrainian artists responding to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Featuring a diverse collection of artist practices–from oil paintings to readymades—the exhibition thematically focuses on the alleged wartime atrocities committed against the Ukrainian people. Artifacts from the frontlines of the invasion, such as a fragment of a Russian attack aircraft, have been displayed alongside these works, proposing a dialogue between reality and creative response.
Alongside the exhibition, co-curator Benjamin Cunningham is conducting academic research with Dr. Michelle Kelse of Sociology, Human Services & Social Justice, and International Affairs at George
Washington University. This research will explore how wartime artists employ creative expression as a means of resistance and survival. Moreover, it will allow us to gauge the communicative strength of artwork in the context of advocacy and international crises.
DISTRICT CPR (DCPR)
Emily Jacobson International Affairs and Criminal Justice Student, Class of 2027
James Cobb
Political Science/Public Health Student, Class of 2027
Emily and James are second-year students in association with the Honey W. Nashman Center at the George Washington University as part of the 2023 Civic House cohort, a first-year program for students interested in developing themselves as active citizens who are engaged in their communities. LAYC's Medical Assistant Training Program provides students with the professional skills that are in demand and necessary to garner an entry-level position in administrative, clinical, or laboratory areas in the healthcare field. Using the Public Service Grant Commission, they will provide students from LAYC with high-quality CPR training, as well as the resources and certifications needed to make this a sustainable program. Knowing CPR is a requirement to complete LAYC’s Medical Assistant Training Program, and a necessary skill to promptly intervene in medical emergencies. Additionally, increasing access to CPR providers in a community is a major contributor to the recent increase in survival of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients.
Check out this project by one of our 2018-2019 Recipients, Roger Isom Jr.
Questions?
Contact us at [email protected]
Stories from Grant Recipients
