Miami students earn Contribution Project grants to create change in their communities
Five Miami University students, three social work majors, one nursing major, and one speech pathology and audiology major, have received Contribution Project grants to bring their community-focused ideas to life.
Miami students earn Contribution Project grants to create change in their communities
The Contribution Project provides $400 microgrants to young people across the country to help them make a positive impact on their communities. Each of the Miami recipients developed an initiative centered on service, inclusion, or empowerment.
The students’ involvement in the project was supported by Visiting Professor Scott Osterfeld of the Department of Family Science and Social Work, who encourages students to design projects that put their values into practice and foster meaningful community engagement.
Building connection through shared experiences
Senior Elizabeth Sims, a social work major, created Pizza with a Purpose, an event designed to bring together high school and college students with individuals who have intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Partnering with the EDGE Teen Center, Sims’ project encourages teens and participants with IDD to share pizza, play games, and create crafts in an inclusive environment. The program is modeled after Miami’s Lunch Bunch initiative, which connects university students with community members with disabilities. Her project also draws on research from Miami psychology professor Virginia Wickline that highlights how meaningful interactions reduce stigma and build empathy.
Expanding inclusion through Lunch Bunch
Emma Steiner, a speech pathology and audiology major, received her grant to enhance the Lunch Bunch program founded within the Family Science and Social Work Department. The program brings together students and community members with disabilities for social connection and friendship.
Steiner’s project focuses on expanding the group’s reach and improving accessibility through new materials and activities, including fidgets, noise-cancelling headphones, games, and a photo booth. She also plans to collaborate with Best Buddies, a student organization that promotes friendships and inclusion across campus.
Supporting students and families through essential care
Senior Madison Hodapp, a social work major, is using her grant to fund Hygiene for Success, a project that provides hygiene care packages for K–12 students and families in need through the Butler County Educational Service Center’s Success Program.
Hodapp identified a gap in donations for hygiene items, such as deodorant, toothpaste, and laundry detergent, which are essential but often overlooked. She plans to use her grant to purchase supplies and organize distribution, with the long-term goal of partnering with community organizations to expand the effort.
Creating meaningful outings for adults with disabilities
First-year social work major Kaitlyn Clingenpeel designed Activities for Alex, a project that helps fund enriching outings for an adult with developmental disabilities she supports as an independent provider.
With her grant, Clingenpeel plans to organize activities such as museum visits, aquarium trips, and sensory-friendly events. The goal is to provide opportunities for exploration, independence, and social inclusion while easing the financial burden on the participant’s family.
Spreading holiday joy to local families
Nursing student Sidney Marsh is dedicating her project to helping low-income families in the Hamilton and Fairfield City School Districts during the holiday season. Working with each district’s Success Liaisons, Marsh plans to use her grant to purchase and distribute gifts to children in need.
Her project was inspired by her years of volunteering with Toys for Tots alongside her father, but she wanted to make a more direct impact in her own community. By organizing shopping, wrapping, and distribution days with support from a friend and a Miami professor, Marsh hopes to relieve some financial stress for parents while ensuring every child experiences the joy of the holidays.
Turning learning into community impact
Through these projects, Miami students are transforming their ideas into meaningful action, using what they’ve learned to strengthen connections, promote inclusion, and make a positive difference in their communities.
AI assistance, provided through tools such as Grammarly and ChatGPT, contributed to the development of this work.
