A New Gift Will Expand GW Student Opportunities in Support of Gaza Humanitarian Relief

The George Washington University is offering new pathways for students to support ongoing humanitarian efforts in Gaza. The opportunities are part of the university's long-standing emphasis on experiential learning, global engagement and service in times of crisis.

The effort, made possible by an additional $200,000 investment in GW'sHumanitarian Internship Program(HIP), creates an expanded partnership between HIP and World Central Kitchen. This partnership will offer new paid internship opportunities focused on humanitarian logistics, food security and emergency response tied to Gaza relief initiatives, an effort close to the hearts of many GW students. It is supported by a generous gift from a member of the GW Board of Trustees, which was matched by the university and complemented by other Trustees whose gifts contributed to this initiative.

HIP, which President Ellen M. Granberg launched in summer 2025, places GW students in 10-week, fully funded internships with global humanitarian organizations. The program was created to provide students with meaningful, hands-on experience responding to a wide range of complex global crises by removing financial barriers that often prevent students from participating in nonprofit internships.

"Experiential learning, particularly when grounded in civic engagement, is core to GW's educational mission," said Granberg. "This initiative allows our students to apply their knowledge in real-time to support humanitarian efforts in Gaza. It will also further strengthen GW's long-standing legacy of leadership in public service."

The expanded program will support up to 14 GW students through a combination of Washington-based internships and placements abroad. Ten undergraduate students will be placed with World Central Kitchen in Washington, D.C. These interns will support operational, analytical, programmatic and logistical work at World Central Kitchen, with the majority of their work contributing to Gaza-related response activities.

If security on the ground permits, the gift will fund four additional student placements in Jordan, where students will work alongside World Central Kitchen teams at a regional staging hub that prepares food and supplies bound for Gaza. These interns will focus on logistics, supply-chain analysis and aid-staging processes that are critical to sustaining humanitarian operations in conflict zones.

"At World Central Kitchen, we believe food is a powerful tool for hope and humanity, especially in moments of crisis," said Javier Garcia, interim CEO of World Central Kitchen. "Through this partnership with GW's Humanitarian Internship Program, students are not only helping us deliver meals and logistical support to communities in dire need, but they are also gaining the skills and perspective to become the next generation of humanitarian leaders."

Beyond these experiential learning opportunities, a student-led philanthropy campaign initiative being planned for later in the spring semester will support World Central Kitchen's activities in Gaza and other areas. Multiple student organizations are expected to participate, building on recent student-driven impact efforts that have raised funds for communities affected by conflict, displacement and natural disasters around the world.