Small Change,
Better World
Calling all creative minds and change-makers! This grant program provides up to $3000 of funding so UCI students can gain experience designing and implementing projects that matter. Small Change, Better World seed grants give students an opportunity to meet tangible needs in their own communities or in places around the world.
Unleash your creative power and problem-solving skills by helping to build a more just, equitable, and sustainable future.
Eligibility: Applications are open to currently enrolled UCI undergraduate and graduate students of any discipline. Proposals should be for a finite or one-time project that addresses a specific need. Think one-time input with lasting legacy! Projects should be achievable within a relatively short period of time and can take place anywhere in the world.
Funding Tracks:
Track 1: Music & Individual Flourishing
This track encourages students to reimagine the role of music as a medium for personal transformation and individual well-being. Students are empowered to explore and address complex aspects of holistic health, such as self-identity, sleep, cognition, mental health, and pain management, through innovative projects that spark reflection, challenge stigmas and foster collective healing.
Track 2: Music & Social Change
This track challenges students to explore the transformative power of music as a tool for addressing pressing social issues and fostering community engagement. Students are encouraged to develop projects that leverage music to raise awareness about global challenges like human trafficking, inequality, and social divisions, with the goal of uniting communities, dismantling barriers, and contributing to a more just and compassionate world.
Track 3: Music, Nature, & Futurisms
This track invites students to explore the intersection of music, nature, and innovation as powerful drivers of sustainable change in the face of environmental challenges. Students are encouraged to develop projects that blend creativity with climate action, using music to raise awareness, promote eco-conscious behavior, and shape a healthier, more resilient planet for future generations.
Impact
UC Irvine students are transforming ideas into impact with music-driven projects that tackle real-world challenges. From advancing individual flourishing and driving social change to championing environmental sustainability, these student-led initiatives use music to make a lasting difference.
Empowering Student Changemakers
To combat the 11.3 million tons of textile waste Americans discard annually, the SJF Repair Center project had UC Irvine students launch a dedicated Repair Center where the campus community can learn to fix and upcycle garments instead of throwing them away. By creating a hands-on space for sustainability skills development, this initiative is transforming our campus’s culture around consumption and demonstrating how UC Irvine can model circular economy principles for future students.
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Championing Flood Mitigation Through Upcycling
PhD candidate Christopher Ihinegbu launched a youth-led initiative in Lagos, Nigeria, training 10 young fellows and 200 high school students to upcycle plastic waste and transform environmental pollution into flood mitigation solutions. Through a social media #BeautifyTrashToMitigateFlood campaign, the project empowered the youth with skills in environmental innovation.
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Music Lessons for Underserved Families
Undergraduate student Anna Komorita’s Music Mentorship Program connects student volunteers from the Human Biology Club are providing free year-long music lessons and instruments to 27+ families, including underserved and neurodivergent youth across Orange County. From weekly lessons in Santa Ana and UC Irvine campus communities to a culminating recital celebration, this initiative demonstrates how pairing skilled student musicians with eager learners can foster creativity, build confidence, and expand access to music education.
Empowering Student Changemakers
To combat the 11.3 million tons of textile waste Americans discard annually, the SJF Repair Center project had UC Irvine students launch a dedicated Repair Center where the campus community can learn to fix and upcycle garments instead of throwing them away. By creating a hands-on space for sustainability skills development, this initiative is transforming our campus’s culture around consumption and demonstrating how UC Irvine can model circular economy principles for future students.
LEARN MORE
Championing Flood Mitigation Through Upcycling
PhD candidate Christopher Ihinegbu launched a youth-led initiative in Lagos, Nigeria, training 10 young fellows and 200 high school students to upcycle plastic waste and transform environmental pollution into flood mitigation solutions. Through a social media #BeautifyTrashToMitigateFlood campaign, the project empowered the youth with skills in environmental innovation.
LEARN MORE
Music Lessons for Underserved Families
Undergraduate student Anna Komorita’s Music Mentorship Program connects student volunteers from the Human Biology Club are providing free year-long music lessons and instruments to 27+ families, including underserved and neurodivergent youth across Orange County. From weekly lessons in Santa Ana and UC Irvine campus communities to a culminating recital celebration, this initiative demonstrates how pairing skilled student musicians with eager learners can foster creativity, build confidence, and expand access to music education.