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NON-PROFIT WITH GROVE CITY TIES AWARDED FUNDS |
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November 05, 2008
GROVE CITY, Pa. – Deep Springs International, a charitable water-purification project envisioned and realized by four Grove City College alumni and advised by one professor, has been awarded funding through the 2008 Templeton Freedom Awards program
A program of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, the 16 recipients from four continents were chosen from more than 70 applications in 58 countries. Two $10,000 awards are given in each of eight categories, one to an established institute and one to an emerging institute.
Deep Springs was the emerging institute winner in the “Social Entrepreneurship” category. According to Atlas, “DSI’s unique program to increase the availability of safe water in Haiti facilitates the development of locally owned businesses that supply water treatment products at prices that rural Haitians can afford.”
Deep Springs began in 2006 as the brainchild of Dr. Timothy Mech, professor of business and entrepreneurship and a researcher in methods to fight world poverty. As a student in 2006, Ruth Dykstra ’07 researched water purification while interning with Hope for the Children of Haiti. She quickly realized the scope of the task and relied on other students to help. It became the winner in the non-profit category at the 2006 Grove City College Business Plan Competition. From there, Dykstra and Mech, along with Michael Ritter ’06, Katie Garland ’06 and James Palmer ’07, grew the project into a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
The organization focuses on creating water treatment businesses by building partnerships between budding young entrepreneurs, schools, non-profits and financial institutions in Haiti. The hope is to broaden to other countries. But clean water is not where the project ends. Deep Springs hopes that school attendance will be boosted, students will be educated about good hygiene and unemployment will be combated.
Named for the late investor and philanthropist, Sir John Templeton, the awards program was established in 2003 to recognize the contributions of independent think tanks to the understanding of freedom. Atlas will host the Templeton Freedom Awards conference to feature the winners on Nov. 13 in Washington, D.C. The Atlas Economic Research Foundation has been supporting projects that promote the free society for more than 25 years.
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