White House Announces 5 Winners of Campus Champions of Change Challenge

The votes are in for the White House’s Campus Champions of Change Challenge, a competition among college students tackling important issues, like homelessness, hunger, sustainability concerns, and more.

Voters had until March 3 to choose from 15 final candidates. The top five vote recipients, who will attend a White House event and host an episode of mtvU’s signature program Dean’s List, and their projects, are as follows:

Ryan Harb—The UMass Amherst Permaculture Initiative transforms grass lawns on campus into edible, low-maintenance gardens.

Julia Lyon—Full Circle Food Pantry at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville feeds needy students on and off campus.

Grace Philipp—At Grinnell College, Social Entrepreneurs of Grinnell manages the Local Loans Project, a microfinance program that combats rural poverty in central Iowa.

Thach Tak Nguyen—Swipes for the Homeless at the University of California at Los Angeles feeds homeless people in the area by allowing students to donate their unused campus meals.

Ted Gonder—Moneythink mobilizes students at the University of Chicago to help local urban teenagers learn better financial skills.