The Nichols Humanitarian Fund provides support for Vanderbilt students to pursue humanitarian immersive experiences locally and globally.
Zulfat Suara, Metro councilmember at large, requested a resolution to honor the Nichols Humanitarian Fund. A presentation at the council’s Nov. 7 meeting recognized the family and students who have participated in humanitarian aid projects. The resolution is tentatively scheduled to be finalized at the council’s Dec. 5 meeting.
The Nichols Humanitarian Fund, which provides funding in support of Vanderbilt students who plan to pursue humanitarian immersive experiences, was established in 2006 by the E.C. and Lucile Hamby Nichols Trust, and by Edward C. Nichols Jr., JD’70, and his wife, Janice Nichols. The fund encourages Vanderbilt students to become better citizens of the world and to broaden their thinking by volunteering for humanitarian efforts.
As stated in the council resolution, 40 Vanderbilt students received awards from the fund in 2023 to work on humanitarian projects during the summer academic break. Students worked in eight U.S. cities and 16 foreign countries. The U.S. projects were in Burlington, Kentucky; Indianapolis; Nashville, Tennessee; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Redwood City, California; San Francisco; Santa Barbara, California; and Washington D.C.; the international projects were in Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Honduras, Italy, Kosovo, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tanzania and Ukraine.
Some of the projects include creating the first Peruvian School of Emerging Leaders program in Lima, Peru; an archaeological dig in France; helping the homeless in Barcelona, Spain; battling food insecurity in Pittsburgh; working with the disabled population in Nashville; working as an emergency medical technician in Mexico; partnering with Women’s Economic Ventures in Santa Barbara; and supporting the Mercy Health Clinic in Washington, D.C.
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