The Wildcat Academics on Mission (WAM) received generous funding from a donor that relieves the need for student fundraising in the spring semester.

WAM incorporates international missions and students academic degree plans. Students take a practicum class in their major and a missions class. In their majors course, they work on a project for a missionary somewhere in the world and the missions class prepares students for a cross cultural service experience

“The donation so far is enough funds to make the program run for one year, but not for future years,” Dodd Roberts, the director for the Halbert Center for Missions said. “We hope this program will be a part of the next capital campaign and that will help raise additional funds to ensure this program happens year after year.” 

There are three planned WAM projects for 2021 in the engineering, nursing and agriculture and environmental science departments. In May, engineering students will install a septic system in Honduras. Nursing and AES will also complete projects in Honduras and Nicaragua.

“We hope in future years that these three departments can continue to go and other departments can start programs,” Roberts said. “We only try and arrange these trips if there is a need at a host ministry, and they want ACU to be involved with that need.”

The Halbert Center hopes that this donation will lead to many more in order to fully fund the WAM program. The donation received will cover just one year of WAM. While the funding helps students, it also help the professors sponsoring by paying for their trip and providing a stipend for the time and effort they put into the program.

“WAM funds also provide for supplies needed for the projects so the ministry partner will not be burdened with that cost,” Roberts said. “Fundraising can be a barrier for some students, especially those who don’t have strong networks in order to fundraise so it inhibits their ability to participate in missions.”