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Projects
Projects for Justice & Sustainability
Projects for Justice and Sustainability is an annual competition sponsored by the Center for student-developed and student-executed projects. The grant program allows students an opportunity to develop, formally propose, receive funding for, and conduct research/action projects related to issues of justice and/or sustainability. Groups are encouraged to apply as well as individuals. Click here to download the application.
Reports from previous years can be read here.
Guidelines for Projects for Justice and Sustainability
Who is eligible?
Any WJC student or group of students in good standing and not in their last year of attendance is eligible to apply.
Application Process & Timeline
- Submit Application with Budget for the proposed project by December 1, 2010.
- Applications with be reviewed by the awards committee and announced early 2011.
- Students have until the following September to complete their projects.
- Submit a written report to the Office of the President and the Center for Justice and Sustainability.
- Give a 5-minute oral presentation during Chapel in Fall 2011 semester.
- Recipients of the Projects for Justice and Sustainability will also present a report during the CJS Summit in Spring 2012.
Village Partners Project
An interdisciplinary group of students, faculty, staff, and alumni made the second visit from the College to Embarcadero, Honduras, this January. The trip was part of an ongoing partnership we have begun with this small agricultural village. One of our goals for this project is to be sure that our partnership is one of true reciprocity. We are being very intentional about learning from our new friends in Embarcadero, specifically in the area of how they have come to build such strong sense of unity within their cooperative farm. We also hope to learn about how they work together as a small, independent group to sustain their village.
During the five-year commitment, some ways we hope this project will engage various departments on campus include: The nursing department will assess and improve the health conditions. The business department may administer micro-loans to improve the local economy. The science departments are teaming up to offer assistance with their water systems and possibly wind or solar energy. The art department and the education departments are looking at ways to learn and share improved teaching methods in their one-room school setting. The student ministries team will work with the local church to offer activities for the children and families.
On this trip in addition to working on deepening our young relationships with these new friends, we focused on sanitation issues in the village by teaching about and building two composting latrines. The team for this trip was Donette Alonzo, Director of Multicultural Student Development; students Paula Mahlburg, Christine Campfield, Elizabeth Waterland, and Sam Hill; alumnus Cat Sullivan; Loulla Efstathiou; Nancy Crigger, Associate Professor of Nursing; Scott Falke, Assistant Professor of Biology; and Tim Honse, Associate Director of The Center for Justice & Sustainability.
One evening as Tim was reflecting back on the work of the day he wrote the following reflection on our experience that says a lot about the partnership:
“Throughout the process we are working with the people of Embarcadero, not just for them. We are side by side at every step of the way, learning together the best ways to interpret the latrine plans that we are using, which as we all know, plans on paper don't usually work out in real life without some improvising and flexibility. Add in a language barrier and the long day of hard physical work has a whole new dimension! I think we all, on both sides of this language barrier, are going to bed tonight fulfilled by a good day's work. When we leave, not only will the people of Embarcadero have two composting latrines, they will also know how to follow these plans and build more latrines for other families in the community. This is what we are hoping is making this partnership between Jewell and Embarcadero different - we are trying to establish lasting changes that will make real differences in the life of this community, not just come down and offer manual labor and supplies. At the same time of course, our students are learning invaluable lessons about grassroots international relations, Honduran culture, and real world application of their liberal arts education. All in a day's work.”
Other Projects
Matthew 25 Project is an urban mission/service project and justice camp for older teens and college students. Students spend a week working in the KC urban core in cooperation with neighborhood associations. Evenings are devoted to learning about justice. The camp brings together students who are diverse, ethnically, religiously, and racially.
Harvest Hill Community Garden is a one acre community garden located on campus that started through a partnership between William Jewell College and local church members of Second Baptist. The purpose of Harvest Hill is to provide a place for Liberty community members to garden, seeking especially to help those who might not be able to have a garden on their own.Garden plots are available to residents of Liberty and surrounding communities, and William Jewell College students, staff and faculty members.
Recycling continues to be expanded and integrated into the systems and daily routines of on campus life.
ACT-In Road Trips are intentional service projects in urban areas (i.e. St. Louis, Denver, Chicago, Dallas) to bring together prospective students, WJC alumni, current students and staff. These events highlight the College’s emphasis on applied learning in the ACT-In major.
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