Davis Projects for Peace
In 2004 the Davis United World College Scholars Program (DUWCSP) invited Skidmore College to join its growing list of American colleges and universities affiliated with and supported by the foundation of Shelby and Gayle Davis. Colby, College of the Atlantic, Middlebury, Princeton and Wellesley were the five pilot schools in the program that began in 2000. Skidmore was invited as the first expansion group of 47 colleges four years later. The DUWCSP encourages colleges to internationalize their study body by supporting need-based scholarship awarded to matriculated graduates of any one of (now) 13 United World Colleges (high schools) around the world. Suxin Cheah ’08, Joseph Kaifala ’08 and Kipsy Ndwandwe ’08, made up the inaugural class of Davis Scholars. In the 2010-2011 academic year, 33 Davis Scholars are now enrolled at Skidmore across the four classes. United World Colleges themselves have a common mission of making “education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.”
Kathryn Wasserman Davis, mother of Shelby Davis, decided to celebrate her 100th birthday in a philanthropic and global fashion that was consistent with how she has lived her life. Watching with interest the growth of the DUWCSP (92 colleges and universities now participate), she decided in 2007 to try out her idea of Projects for Peace donating $1 million and challenging all the students at “Davis Schools” to design whatever projects they felt would contribute to peace. 100 projects would be funded as a celebration of Kathryn’s centennial birthday. Kathryn was so gratified by the students’ projects in 2007 that she committed another $1 million for a second round of projects in 2008 to celebrate her 101st birthday, and she did it again for her 102nd birthday in 2009 and in 2010 as well. She will soon turn 104 and it was announced in August that projects will be available for funding once again in the summer of 2011. (Summary material provided by 2009 Projects for Peace: The vision of Kathryn W. Davis, a publication of the Davis United World College Scholars Program.)
Because of Skidmore College’s continued commitment to recruit, enroll, and support UWC graduates while on campus, all Skidmore students are eligible to apply for the remarkable opportunity of administering a $10,000 Davis Projects for Peace grant. Two projects were awarded to Skidmore students in each of the summers of 2007, 2008, and 2010 and one project in 2009. All Skidmore based projects have enjoyed a tremendous amount of support from fellow students, faculty and staff of the college, and various members of the Saratoga Springs community such as elementary schools, churches, and local civic organizations.
