2 receive Davis Projects for Peace funding

March 27, 2008

WAVERLY, Iowa — Two Wartburg College seniors have received $10,000 to fund one of 100 Davis Projects for Peace.

Jessica Foster and Ryan Hahn received funding for their project, “Remember Cambodia: Connecting Two Worlds.” Foster is an elementary education major from Cresco. Her parents are Jane Callahan-Foster of Cresco and Mark Foster of Elma. Hahn is a communication arts major from Cresco. His parents are Jacquelyn and Robert Hahn.

The pair started the project in fall 2006 while studying for a semester in Sydney, Australia. Through Austcare, a global humanitarian aid organization, they learned about service opportunities in Cambodia.

In August 2007, Foster and Hahn studied in Cambodia and later created a presentation documenting their work, which they shared with various Iowa audiences.

During summer 2008, “Remember Cambodia” will take Foster and Hahn, four Wartburg students and a faculty adviser to Cambodia for two weeks to conduct research on community development and land clearance and allocation. Students will conduct research related to their specific academic majors.

“Students will receive first-hand insight into how Cambodia has dealt and continues to deal with the aftermath of war,” said Foster. “They will see the building of community farms, schools and homes.”

The students will return to Wartburg in mid-August to compile their research and create presentations. While students will be expected to apply their research to their respective areas of study, Foster and Hahn also hope presentations will raise awareness about Cambodia’s history of genocide and continued struggle for recovery.

“We expect them to present their findings at Wartburg and throughout the Cedar Valley,” Hahn explained. “Perhaps there will also be opportunities for students to travel to other universities to present their findings.”

The purpose of “Remember Cambodia” is to enrich the students’ study and benefit the people of Cambodia, Hahn added.

“The power of knowledge is undeniably influential in making changes,” Hahn said. “‘Remember Cambodia’ addresses the needs of the people of Cambodia, giving them the chance to share their culture and stories as well as encouraging the Wartburg community to think globally.”

In all, Davis Projects for Peace will provide $1 million to fund 100 student projects at 81 colleges and universities this year. Recipients attend colleges and universities that are members of the Davis United World College (UWC) Scholars Program, a select group across the United States.

The 100 Projects for Peace program is in its second year and honors philanthropist Kathryn Wasserman Davis, who launched the initiative in 2007 on her 100th birthday. It is designed to encourage and support motivated students to create and implement their ideas for building peace throughout the world. Each of the 100 projects receives $10,000 in funding.

Students at UWC institutions were asked to submit plans for grassroots projects for peace that could be implemented during summer 2008. A competition for funding took place at 81 of the 88 campuses involved in the UWC Scholars Program.

“We are grateful to the many students, faculty and staff who participated in this year’s competition,” said Philip O. Geier, executive director of the UWC Scholars Program. “Kathryn Davis is a leader, and what she has set in motion with this important challenge is a growing number of young people committed to putting into place the building blocks for peace.”

Davis is an internationalist and philanthropist and the mother of Shelby M.C. Davis, who funds the UWC Scholars Program.

“My many years have taught me that there will always be conflict,” said Kathryn Davis. “It’s part of human nature. But love, kindness, and support are also part of human nature, and my challenge to these young people is to bring about a mindset of preparing for peace instead of preparing for war.”

The winning projects propose specific plans of action that will have lasting effects — from post-conflict community building to youth empowerment and education programs to improved community water supplies worldwide to a multitude of agrarian enterprises in countries where famine is pervasive. Students will travel to more than 54 countries over the summer to work on their projects and report on their experiences once they return.

Wartburg was chosen to participate in the UWC program in October 2006 after a competitive selection process.

The UWC program is equivalent to the last two years of a U.S. high school education. There are currently 10 UWC educational facilities outside the United States. Students from those programs go on to attend participating U.S. colleges and universities, such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell and Brown. In addition to Wartburg, Luther and Grinnell colleges are the other Iowa colleges in the program.

Any UWC student who attends Wartburg receives a scholarship equal to their full financial need, up to $10,000 per year from Davis. In addition to welcoming UWC scholars and eligibility for the 100 Projects for Peace program, Wartburg receives $5,000 each year for “creative admissions outreach.”

“The United World College program is an excellent way for international students to expand and diversify an already rich educational experience,” said Wartburg College President Dr. Jack R. Ohle. “Wartburg is grateful to the Davis family for its long-term commitment to greater international understanding among future generations of the world decision-makers.”

Ohle appointed Dr. Edith Waldstein, vice president for enrollment management, as Wartburg’s on-campus UWC coordinator.

“At its core, the Davis United World Scholars Program promotes international understanding through educational opportunities and co-curricular activities,” said Waldstein. “This commitment to the global community is vital to the work of Wartburg and allows our students to broaden their educational and co-curricular experiences as well.”

A complete list of the participating schools and 100 Projects for Peace projects, as well as a summary of the 2007 projects and a video interview with Davis from 2006, is available at www.davisprojectsforpeace.org.