Added on October 7, 2014  The News Wheel   , , ,
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2014 Ford College Community Challenge Winners Announced

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2014 Ford College Community Challenge

2014 Ford College Community Challenge winners announced

Ford has announced the 16 winners of the 2014 Ford College Community Challenge, with this year’s winners spanning 15 universities and three countries. The winners from colleges in the United States, Brazil, and China will all receive a grant from the Ford Fund’s $280,000 pot, which is part of a larger $1 million commitment to scholarships, grants, and career outreach programs around the world.

“Educating the next generation of leaders is at the center of Ford Fund’s commitment to a better world,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Education, innovation and sustainable solutions is a powerful formula for success in our communities, and will help future engineers, managers and entrepreneurs build a solid foundation for the careers of tomorrow.”

The 2014 Ford College Community Challenge winners from the United States are:

  • Fairmont State University, Fairmont, WV– Plant community gardens to provide food for feeding programs
  • Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI– Create solar and water collection infrastructure and instructional garden
  • Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI –Salvage materials from Detroit building, create design proposal for new building
  • Kettering University, Flint, MI– Create aquaponics farming system
  • Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN– Create a hybrid renewable energy system to provide power to 50 homes in Cameroon
  • University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, MI– Make improvements to community parks geared toward safety and sustainability
  • University of Georgia, Athens, GA– Use“prescribed grazing” by goats to clear away invasive vegetation around a stream coridor
  • University of Washington, Seattle, WA– Create an app that improves access to public transportation for the visually impaired
  • Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA– Expands sustainable transportation initiative created by 2013 Ford C3 team
  • Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA– Improves facilities at Brookview House to address needs and improve safety for homeless wards

2014 Ford College Community Challenge winners in Brazil include:

  • Education and Research Institute, Insper Enactus team – Create employment opportunities by training disadvantaged individuals to produce and sell affordable eye glasses for low-income families
  • Federal Center for Technological Education, Celso Suckow da Fonseca Enactus team –Train organic farmers to repurpose discarded food products

Winners from China are:

  • Harbin Engineering University Enactus team – Train disabled women to create and sell fish skin paintings while receiving business training
  • Jilin University Enactus team – Convert garbage into enzymes to produce environmentally-friendly multi-purpose cleaners
  • Nanjing Agricultural University Enactus team – Convert discarded straw into clean fertilizer
  • Sun Yat-sen University Enactus team –Train farmers from a poor island village to utilize banana leaves to cultivate and sell mushrooms

Ford says it intends to expand the program into the Middle East and Africa in the future. More information on this year’s projects and the overall program can be found at www.fordscholars.org/contests/ford-c3.