The Village Aid Project (VAP) at Fort Lewis College is a student-centered, humanitarian organization whose mission is to partner with needy communities in the developing world to find sustainable solutions to their critical engineering problems. They are training a new generation of students who understand the need for sustainable systems and who value the concept of responsible global citizenship.

The AAUW-VAP Travel Grant of $500 is awarded each year to a student who a) reflects the AAUW mission of providing education to girls and women; and b) is assigned to work on an off-campus field project for VAP. No application is required; the VAP Director selects the recipient, who is asked to share their experience at an AAUW event sometime after returning to campus. For more information on what the Fort Lewis College Village Aid Project is all about click here VAP Information.

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“The AAUW award to a Fort Lewis College Village Aid Project (VAP) recipient is a beautiful expression of promoting equity and education for women and girls. VAP – a Fort Lewis College student-centered, humanitarian organization with a mission of partnering with communities to find sustainable solutions to critical problems such as the lack of reliable potable water, sanitation, education, or other basic services; empowers women students and women community members to collaboratively work towards creating a better future through sustainable solutions.

I can think of no more important role than to support all women and in the process, to foster responsible global citizenship, by whatever means possible.”

Contact Laurie Williams to apply for this grant.

 

Dr. Laurie Williams, PE
Chair and Professor, Dept. Physics and Engineering
Fort Lewis College

 

 

 

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AAUW-Durango Village Aid Project Recipients

Since 2005, young women from Fort Lewis have volunteered their time, expertise, and passion to help both the student organization and people in developing communities where hardship is a way of life, especially for the women and young girls whom bear the primary role of water hauler, cook, and domestic.  These women share with these partnering communities a vision of female leadership, empowerment, the role of education, and equity for both themselves and daughters. since 2019 AAUW Durango Branch has been helping to fund VAP students.

2024

Bethany Haverly

2022

Jessie Urban

I am a third-year student at Fort Lewis College majoring in general engineering with a concentration in energy. I have a strong passion for renewable energy systems and hope to study them further in graduate school. This is my first year participating in VAP, and I will be traveling to Nicaragua to implement a water system in late May. My main job is to assess and build the water source for the system. After my trip with VAP, I will be participating in research at Cornell University in New York for the rest of the summer. In the future, I plan to continue my participation with VAP in hopes to do similar projects.

2021

Olivia (Livi) Curmono

2019