Jefferson Trust Flash Grants fund student projects

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - The University of Virginia is splitting up $98,000 for students to use in different ways.

It’s grant money from the Jefferson Trust, made up of alumni and UVA parents.

Students apply for the funds each January and find out if their proposed projects are accepted in April.

This year, the awarded programs include masonry work, psychology outreach, and a film about Afghan wellness.

“We’re just really excited about these projects and the variety of where they’re coming from in the university,” Andrea Seese, Assistant Director of Promotions and Events for the trust said. “It’s always interesting to see what students see as the need to making an improvement to the university to make it an even better place.”

Awarded Grants:

Accesibilizing UVA Health: A Navigational Experience: $7,480 A student-led initiative of the Health Sciences Library, this project aims to create an accurate virtual map of the UVA Health System. The app will provide step-by-step walking instructions to promote patient independence and familiarity with the hospital. This work will also create the foundation for streamlined processes to expand both outpatient clinics as well as other University buildings.

STEM-Themed Art Contest for Chemistry Building: $2,500 This art contest will blend art and science by bringing student and faculty produced art to the walls of the chemistry building.

“One Size Fits All” Short Film and Impact Campaign: $7,834 Funding supports a short film exploring satirical commentary on body image, social media, and how companies manipulate us. In addition to the film, an interactive website will be created to provide a meeting place for viewers to think, talk, and organize change.

From Chaos to Chaos: Documenting Afghan Women: $10,000 This project will include a film amplifying and sharing the stories of Afghan women in the UVA community and pilot a support and wellness program. Charlottesville Analog Film Festival: $5,320

The Historical Landscape of North Grounds: $6,735 The UVA Law Library is creating and installing interpretive panels along the Rivanna Trail in UVA’s North Grounds to inform and bring awareness of the people – free and enslaved - who lived and labored on this UVA property.

Upper Mattaponi Land Use Study: $10,000 A collaboration between UVA’s Native & Indigenous Relations Community (NIRC), the School of Architecture, and Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe (UMIT), this project was developed in response to efforts at UVA to build and improve relations with Native Nations across Virginia. A team of faculty, staff, and students will work with the Tribe to assess their needs and desires for development, and to provide UMIT with a professional study and land-use report to guide their efforts.

Developing Future Leaders in Autism Healthcare Through Emergency Medical Training: $9,973 This project aims to develop and distribute evidenced-based, community-informed Autism Response Protocol (ARP) to EMTs across Virginia through various trainings. Creating hands-on opportunities for students to learn about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will fill a major gap in current curricula and facilitate their future leadership in medicine.

Large Format 3D Printer: $1,000 This student-led experiential project aims to explore how 3D printing can be scaled from small-scale desktop machines to large desk-sized machines while maintaining accuracy and precision.

Zora’s Daughters Choosing Brilliance Lecture: $1,000 Zora’s Daughters is a popular podcast focusing on contemporary issues from a Black Feminist lens, using anthropological concepts and key texts. Students interviewed Zora’s Daughters creators about their production process, as well as the cogency of anthropological thought in public discourse.

Tangential Timber: Non-Linear Wood Masonry: $7,000 This project seeks to demonstrate an application for irregular waste timber by developing a digital fabrication workflow to process cross sectional slices of logs (“cookies”) into structural blocks. The project will culminate in a physical prototype installation demonstrating the novel construction and material strategies developed.

Darden African Business Conference: $7,000 Funding supports a conference focused on “Emerging Trends in Africa’s Creative Economy.” Conference attendees will improve their knowledge of the interplay between Africa’s economic development and its creative sector, gain an awareness of the difference in various African countries, and increase the number of African Business Cases studied in Darden classrooms.

Taste of Home Open Fair: $752 Two chefs from diverse, underrepresented backgrounds will cook meals that UVA community member can enjoy at Taste of Home multicultural fair, to introduce unique cultures through ethnic cuisine.

3D Scanning at the Visual Resources Center: $8,660 Funding will purchase a 3D scanner for the Visual Resources Center at the Art Department, a hub of 3D modeling, printing, and other digital creative services for students, faculty, and staff.

History of Law Enforcement with an emphasis on UPD: $2,800 Bringing UVA students, faculty, and citizens of Charlottesville together, UPD will host and participate in a panel discussion and workshop to discuss African American and Monacan Tribal Nation relationships around the history of law enforcement, while promoting and fostering healing to both law enforcement and citizens.

Psychology School Outreach Days: $9,962.74 Eighth graders from across central Virginia will come to UVA for a day of hands-on learning to explore psychology and brain science.

Click here for details on donating or applying.

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