Laspa Center Accepting Applications for "We Act" Grants

By Jocelyn Gardner '17
Mental Health Columnist & Webmaster

Last year, the newly-launched Laspa Center for Leadership awarded six Scripps students generous grants, called “We Act” Grants. Over the summer of 2015, these six students went into different communities—ranging from a local high school to Vietnam—to implement their self-designed social change projects in coordination with an organization. This year, Scripps students can apply for a We Act Grant of between $2,000 and $4,500.

Last year, the We Act Grant applications were submitted in video format. This year, the application, due Sunday, Mar. 20 at 11 p.m., is a written application that involves a description of the project, budget proposal and justification and a “letter of support from partner organization.”

The Laspa Center for Leadership has specific goals for the We Act grants, which are one of many programs implemented by their student employees, the Scholars in Action. The goals for these grants are to: “(1) transform knowledge, passion, and ideas into action; (2) demonstrate creative and effective problem-solving; (3) create partnership(s) in the public or private sector; and (4) produce outcomes that make a positive impact. Areas of focus include but are not limited to government, politics, the arts, STEM, non-profits and NGO’s, the corporate sector, technology, and education,” according to the We Act Grant description.

The Laspa Center, located to the left of CP&R in Seal Court, will hold open hours for students to drop in for application questions and help on Monday, Mar. 7 from 3-5 p.m. For more information, students should contact Scholars in Action Sydney Sibelius (‘18) at or Reyna McKinnon (‘16) at , or stop in at the Laspa Center office in Seal Court. Applications are available for pick-up in the Laspa office.

In late March, semifinalists will be selected, and they “will be asked to participate in Facebook campaign to promote their project as well as a 30 minute interview with the Laspa Center We Act Grant decision panel. Finalists will be notified in mid-April.”

For the duration of the projects, which is a minimum of eight weeks over the summer, grant recipients will post to the We Act Grant blog on Laspa’s website. Upon return in the fall, We Act grant recipients will present at the Fall Symposium along with students who also completed projects or research over the summer.