The International Changemaker Grant enables UNH students to bring their knowledge, enthusiasm, and expertise to help form and strengthen partnerships and international solidarity to address sustainability related challenges in the global south.
Students, working alongside a faculty mentor, partner with regional stakeholders and/or international non-profit organizations to develop a project geared at mitigating a sustainability related problem, using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a blueprint. Students apply for funding to cover the cost of travel, lodging, meals and other necessities. This year we were fortunate to have five service trips funded - this is part two of a five part series.
This summer, an interdisciplinary student team from UNH's College of Health and Human Services was awarded funds to travel to Kenya in partnership with Kenya Connect, a Kenyan based non-governmental organization, working to eliminate barriers to education while providing enrichment and empowerment programs to students, teachers, and parents at 62 partner public schools - whose executive director is UNH alumna, Sharon Runge. The team was advised by John DeJoie, MSW, Senior Lecturer in Social Work, April Phelps, DNP, RN, Clinical Assistant Professor in Nursing and Gibran Mancus, Assistant Professor in Nursing.
Alyssa Bogucki ’25 and Grace Papscoe ’25 (both undergraduate Nursing Majors with Women and Gender Studies Minor) and three Social Work graduate students, Maria Bessette ‘G24, Nicole Hardiman ’G24, and Lauren Treitman ‘G23 reflect on their experience and discuss their projects in the video below.
The International Changemaker Grant is a partnership between UNH’s Changemaker Collaborative at the Sustainability Institute and UNH Global. Thanks to the visionary guidance of S. Melvin Rines ’47 and his generous support, the Emeriti Council of the UNH Foundation Board has taken a groundbreaking initiative in establishing and sustaining this fund. Additionally, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Alnoba Lewis Family Global Service Initiative Fund for their invaluable contribution in making this initiative a reality. This endeavor is aimed at empowering groups of UNH students to partake in impactful international service projects.
