Learn about some of the amazing opportunities made possible by the Class of 1978 Foundation.
2025 Grantees
Mell Aguiar – Political Education for Bronx Youth
This summer I had the opportunity to intern at the Renaissance Youth Center, a youth enrichment organization in the South Bronx, NYC. At Renaissance, kids and teens learn how to play instruments, code robots, play sports, plant trees, and more. The Center also has a youth council that meets throughout the school year to discuss…
Keep readingGustavo Blanco-Quiroga – Hydroponics
Bolivia is facing one of the hardest economic crises in our history. As a recent graduate from Princeton, I embarked on this service mission to diversify, through hydroponics, the economy of my country — deeply hit by climate change and now by this intense climate crisis. Coming fresh out of Princeton to see a different…
Keep readingThomas Emens – Roots to Rise
The “Roots to Rise” initiative in Jamesburg this summer was incredibly successful. At the Jamesburg Public Library, we organized a summer program for students that had two parts: a STEM program and a summer reading program. The STEM program focused on teaching science through creativity and engaging hands-on activities. Students learned how to make boats…
Keep readingAndrei Florian – Engineers Without Borders Kenya
The generous support of the 1978 Foundation enabled Princeton’s Engineers Without Borders Kenya team to launch construction on a high-impact water distribution project in the Nyabohanse community of Kenya, while also providing an invaluable educational experience for five Princeton students. The contribution directly supported both project implementation costs (materials and labor) and student travel expenses,…
Keep readingAkuei Johnson – Changing Minds: From Bullets to Books, From Shadows to Light
I write to you with deep gratitude and renewed hope to share the impact of this summer’s initiative, Changing Minds: From Bullets to Books, From Shadows to Light, a project born from the dream to transform war-torn despair into empowered potential. This summer marked a defining chapter in our ongoing mission to bridge the gap…
Keep readingGil Sander Joseph – Project Rousseau
My name is Gil Sander Joseph, and I am a recent graduate from Princeton University, where I majored in sociology with a minor in Latin American studies. Originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, I am currently pursuing a Master’s in International Policy at Stanford University as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar. This summer, I received a generous grant from…
Keep readingEdouard Kwizera – Ishywa Smart Lab Project
This summer, I returned to Ishywa Island not just as a visitor but as a former student determined to give back. Building on the success of my transportation project funded by the Class of 1978 Grant, one theme echoed in every conversation with residents, parents, and students: “we need a library, we need technology.” From…
Keep readingIsam Mina – Expanding CPR Training and The BEATroot
I am delighted to share that this August I was able to achieve the goals I set out to pursue when I applied for the Class of 1978 Foundation grant. This summer, my work centered on two objectives: expanding CPR and first aid training in underserved communities and advancing the instructional development of The BEATroot,…
Keep readingJack Musser – River City Players
Thank you so much to the Class of 1978 Foundation for allowing me to have such a fulfilling summer supporting the arts in Appalachian Ohio, specifically within River City Players of Middleport, Ohio. Because of the foundation’s generous award, I was able to focus my energy towards this goal, and I was able to make…
Keep reading2024 Grantees
Hagop Alajajian – Armenian Cultural Preservation
My recent journey to Armenia was a transformative experience that spanned a variety of activities, each enriching my understanding of both my heritage and the broader impact of community service. During my time there, I engaged in several meaningful volunteer projects that allowed me to leverage my skills and passions in diverse ways. FAST During…
Keep readingSara Ansari – Combatting Climate-Change Induced Heat
This summer, I wanted to engage in community service in Malegaon because I wanted to go back to my great grandparents’ hometown, and connect with the community I come from in a meaningful way. The place was just as I had remembered it — a few degrees hotter though. The classrooms with just one ceiling…
Keep readingAkuei Ateny – South Sudan SAT Prep
I hope this report finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to express my deepest gratitude and to provide an update on the transformative journey undertaken at the South Sudan VisionQuest Academy this summer, made possible by your generous funding. This summer has been a landmark period in the history of…
Keep readingCooper Austen – Kenya SAT Prep
This summer, I traveled to Chepkanga, Kenya, to work as an instructor at the Kenya Scholar Access Program. Chepkanga is a small town forty minutes outside of Eldoret. KenSAP, as it is called for short, is Kenya’s premier college access program for low income, high achieving students. The program has worked for the past twenty…
Keep readingNivan Dhamija – Kenya College Application Assistance
As an intern at KenSAP during the summer of 2024, I helped a group of thirty Kenyan students from low-income backgrounds through the necessary preparatory work for applying to university in the US. I taught various academic skills workshops on topics such as plagiarism and citations. These sessions were meant to prepare students for academic…
Keep readingRafaela Gold – Panama Reforestation Project
Using the Class of 1978 Foundation grant, I was able to travel to Panama and complete an 8-week reforestation internship with a non-profit reforestation and climate education organization called Fundación Pro Eco Azuero. As an incoming Princeton junior, I hadn’t known what to expect when I accepted the internship. I hoped to spend my summer…
Keep readingJeannie Kim – Women’s Small Business Empowerment Program
My time at Women On Top was one of the most enriching and fulfilling experiences of my life, and I will always be grateful to my supervisors and colleagues for inviting me into their work environment and creating such a supportive learning community for me. Throughout my time in Athens, I feel that I became…
Keep readingSriya Kotta – EWB, Peru
This summer, the Peru team traveled to Carnachique, a community located in the Northwest region of Peru, to continue our partnership and begin the implementation phase of our agricultural irrigation project. The existing irrigation system in Carnachique struggled to provide sufficient water flow during the summer season, as the water often got absorbed into the…
Keep readingSunrit Panda – Teaching AI to Children in Rural West Bengal Village
Thank you for your inquiry regarding my application for the summer grant. As a student in the Statistics and Machine Learning department, I have amassed a comprehensive academic and practical background in artificial intelligence, equipping me with the expertise necessary to impart advanced AI and ML concepts to young learners. My academic journey in AI…
Keep readingNatalie Torres – Salud Dental Princeton en Honduras
I’m excited to announce the successful completion of my service project, “Salud Dental Princeton en Honduras,” which was organized with the mission of providing essential dental care to El Playón, Comayagua, Honduras. From June 30th to July 24th, this initiative aimed to deliver preventative dental care to a remote community, strongly emphasizing educating children about…
Keep reading2023 Grantees
Tiffanie Cheng
“After arriving in my hometown in mid-June, I reached out to the Mental Health Association of Enping (MHAE) to begin actualizing our proposal for the summer. Through the first in person meeting with the director of the MHAE and staff I will be working closely with, they expressed a concern that was unexpected to me.” Read more >
Azi Jones, Class of ’25
In Good Company
“In Good Company”, an independent summer service project I developed in collaboration with CDT Arts Ltd. based in Kingston, Jamaica has been incredibly fruitful. Born from this summer work is The Company Dance Theatre Archive, an open-source, digital library database that currently houses 2500+ photographs, 150+ videos, and programs, posters, etc. from Tony Wilson, O.D. and Artistic Director Emeritus’ 35 years of repertoire and performance works set on The Company Dance Theatre (1988).” Watch Video | Read more >
Tenzing Sherpa
Coding for Change
“This summer I had the amazing opportunity of hosting a community service project titled “Coding for Change”, funded by a grant of $4000 from the amazing foundation of the class of 1978 from Princeton. This project aimed to empower underprivileged youths in Nepal through coding education, fostering innovation, and promoting technology-based careers.” Video Watch | Read more >
Edouard Kwizara
Ishywa Transportation & Sanitation Enhancement
“This project was aimed to enrich the lives of the residents of Ishywa Island. We focused on four key pillars transportation, sanitation, health- care, and education with an aim to drive sustainable development. While there are many challenges still confronting Ishywa, including pov- erty, malnutrition, and educational resources, we have succeeded in making substantial improvements in these essential sectors.” Watch Video | Read more (372M PDF) >