A two-week trip to work with orphaned and vulnerable children at the Kititimo Child Centre in Singida, Tanzania, helped education major Katie Nanson develop a different perspective on what it means to be a teacher.

“My heart is social justice,” she says. “The focus at the Faculty of Education is to equip teachers to meet the needs of every child. We’ve learned about equity versus equality and the idea that while all children need shoes, not all children need the same shoe size—we have to reach them as individuals.”

That experience was as important as anything she could have learned in a classroom, says Clayton Smith, vice-provost, student and international affairs.

“We know that activities that directly involve students are key to the learning experience,” he says. “Our university is committed to fostering those engagements, recognizing they benefit our students as well as the community.”

That’s where the Student Life Enhancement Fund comes in. Administered by the student affairs office, it supports co-curricular activities that enhance student engagement and the student experience, including the Tanzanian experience of Nanson and 11 classmates.

“The idea of the fund is to provide one central place that students know to come to when they are seeking sponsorship for their special projects, activities and events,” Dr. Smith says.

The fund provides up to $1000 for group requests, and up to $500 for social events or individual activities.

Find more information, including funding guidelines, eligibility criteria and an online application form, at www.uwindsor.ca/sponsorshiprequests.