Make peace

What would you do with $10,000 to promote world peace? 

Wheaton students interested in answering that question have until Jan. 12, 2009, to develop a plan. That's the deadline for submitting a proposal for the Davis 100 Projects for Peace program. 

The Davis Projects for Peace program is made possible by Kathryn Wasserman Davis, an accomplished internationalist and philanthropist. Upon the occasion of her 100th birthday in February of 2007, Mrs. Davis, mother of Wheaton Trustee Emerita Diana Davis Spencer '60, chose to celebrate by committing $1 million for 100 Projects for Peace.  Because of the many marvelous achievements made by students in the summer of 2007, Mrs. Davis has continued the program.

In the past two years, a number of Wheaton students have won grants from the program. They include: 

• Ann Kwan '09, who established a handicrafts shop in Phnom Penh for a Cambodian non-profit,
• Kelly Maby '09, who took urban high school students on a week-long tour of the American South to learn from Civil Rights leaders.
• Derron J.R. Wallace '07, who focused on projects to benefit school children in Jamaica and Tanzania;
• Caitlin O'Connor '08 and Ashley Mott '08, who strengthened an after-school program in three Tanzanian villages.

The Davis Projects for Peace initiative is open to undergraduates at Wheaton and other American colleges  in the Davis United World College Scholars Program to design grassroots projects that they will implement during the summer of 2008.  The projects judged to be the most promising and do-able will be funded at $10,000 each.  The objective is to encourage and support today's motivated youth to create and tryout their own ideas for building peace.

The Filene Center for Academic Advising and Career Services will hold two information sessions to help students develop their plans. The sessions will be held on Thursday, Oct. 23 at 9 p.m. in the Ellison Lecture Hall at Watson and on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 9 p.m. in the Media Room of the Balfour-Hood Campus Center.

For more information, contact Judi Razee, the Filene Center's scholar & fellowship stipend coordinator.