WIN Grant Award Has Immediate Impact

The Women’s Impact Network (WIN) recently awarded its first grant for a project outside of the United States. The $22,300 grant—the largest award to a student in WIN history—made an immediate impact on public primary school children in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

WPI African Student Association president Elitumaini Swai ’22, ’23 (MS), founded the Sayansi Ambassadors project to bring hands-on learning experiences to public primary schools in her hometown of TPC, Moshi Kilimanjaro. By arousing academic curiosity, the Sayansi Ambassador project enables students to develop a deeper understanding of theoretical science concepts and how that knowledge can be applied to real-world practices.

“As new science concepts are complex to understand, many Tanzanian public-school children struggle to understand when they are taught through theory only. The Sayansi Ambassadors project helps students see the practical nature of science, inspiring them to see the role of science in addressing the needs of their home communities,” says Swai, who also received a grant from The Global School’s Davis Peace Projects when she launched the program in August 2021.

WIN is a women-led philanthropic organization committed to the continuous advancement of women in STEM across WPI’s local and global community. WIN knows the value of WPI’s hands-on, project-based, globally aware curriculum; they’ve seen firsthand how a WPI education can make a difference in the lives of individuals, communities, and, in many cases, their own lives. With the goal of building a network of women who lead and support women in STEM initiatives, WIN has awarded over $1.3 million in grant funding since its inception in 2016. A strong funder of Beyond These Towers: The Campaign for WPI, WIN uses its pooled gifts to support WPI’s strategic priorities, ranging from curriculum enhancement, K-12 pipeline activities, and diversity, equity, and inclusion, to student support, academic research, and wellness and well-being programming. In 2021 alone, WIN received $260,000 in grant requests from the WPI community and was able to award more than $180,000.

“My hope for WIN is that it continues to provide women and girls of all ages with mentorship and leadership opportunities in STEM that will benefit them throughout their careers,” says Karen Oliver ’82, WIN executive committee member.

For Swai, the WIN Impact Grant was a dream come true. “Making an impact in my home community has always been a great motivator for me, so to have the Sayansi Ambassador project be supported by WIN was an incredibly impactful and meaningful experience. The WIN grant will allow the Sayansi Ambassador project to continue its mission to inspire STEM students through hands-on learning; empower girls and young women especially on their journey to STEM fields; enhance, enrich, and beautify the education resources of low-income Tanzania communities; and, finally, to maintain my relationship with WPI in hopes of one day developing an Interactive Qualifying Project center in Tanzania,” says Swai.

She adds, “With support of the WIN grant, I learned there exists uncultivated STEM talents from disadvantaged communities, which, if channeled into the right direction with the right resources and mentorship, can spark a much-needed industrial revolution for Tanzania.

“And just as my presence in Tanzania inspired the program’s children to achieve remarkable things despite the challenges of their backgrounds, the women of WIN have inspired me to continue my work promoting STEM to underserved populations,” she says. “As WIN’s leadership and generous philanthropic giving made a positive impact on my life and the children of TPC, Moshi Kilimanjaro, I pledge to follow in their footsteps as a strong female leader and supporter of women in STEM.”