Inviting UB students to connect with American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) on mentored projects.
American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) was founded to promote woman-to-woman interaction and understanding with over 50 years of citizen diplomacy through delegations, grants, awards, local chapter outreach and educational programs.
Delegations have traveled to over 60 countries to date with the first group of American women to visit China after the 1973 detente, to visit Russia in 1976, and to visit Libya in 40 years in 2009. Recent delegations traveled to Myanmar (Burma) in 2014, Chiapas, Mexico in 2015, Ethiopia in 2016, Nicaragua in 2017, and upcoming delegation to Morocco in January 2019. Delegations meet with leaders in government, business, and charitable organizations and visit embassies, institutions, historical sites and private homes, sharing updates with all AWIU members via return via presentations and communications.
AWIU awards grants to non-profit organizations focused on training and empowering women and girls in the areas of leadership, technology, health care and journalism. Past grantees include NGOs that support women photojournalists from developing countries, victims of human trafficking in Uganda, jurists from Muslim countries, teachers in Kenya, and technology workers in Afghanistan. Recent business-focused grants include support for jewelry-making project in Peru and sewing and tailoring co-op in Uganda. Recent health-focused grants include cervical cancer screening in Nicaragua and clean water cistern at a girl's school in the Ivory Coast.
Since 2008 AWIU has collaborated with the U.S. State Department to recognize women around the globe who have made a substantial difference in the lives of women in their host countries. AWIU hosts the International Women of Courage Celebration awards and grants awards to every honoree designated by the State Department. The AWIU Internationalism Award is also presented at the Celebration to an American woman who has made exceptional contributions to world understanding and betterment.
AWIU is pleased to invite UB students to work on mentored projects related to key areas of programming.
Current project opportunities include:
Length of commitment | About a semester (3-5 months) |
Start time | Anytime |
Level of collaboration | Varies |
Benefits | Varies |
Who is eligible | Anyone |
Mara Huber
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Research and Experiential Learning; Director, Experiential Learning Network
Phone: (716) 829-2834
Email: mbhuber@buffalo.edu
Have a question about this project? Mara Huber hosts drop-in office hours on Zoom every Monday and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m.
This project is for students interested in collaborating with a global Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). Please be sure you identify your project as a Global NGO Project when you submit the interest form below.
After you receive approval from ELN to begin the project, you should download and complete this Global NGO Project Preparation Guide.