In partnership with global nonprofit Enactus, Ford Fund invites student teams to develop ideas for innovative projects that address an unmet social need or problem in the local community—ranging from safety to workforce development to access to mobility, and more. Each year, up to four Enactus student teams are selected to receive a $4,500 USD grant to implement their project. Through this program, students use entrepreneurial action to make people’s lives better and help their community become a more sustainable place to work and live.

Enactus EMI (Mohammadia Schools of Engineering) created project Hayat to help solve education problems in rural Morocco. Half of all children between ages three and six in Morocco do not have the opportunity to attend preschool, and most of these children live in rural areas. Since preschool education helps shape a child’s personality and contributes to their long-term growth, the Moroccan government established a reform in 2018 that requires preschool for all children. To achieve this goal, the government launched a well-funded program to build and staff 48,265 preschool classes. Enactus EMI recognized that they could contribute to this initiative through the Hayat project. Hayat offers sustainably constructed and aesthetically attractive preschool centers for young children in rural areas. There are two options within the project for preschool construction. The first is a dome-shaped structure made from local materials, which is more affordable than many other designs. The second option is a moveable, isothermal tent. The tent model is designed for nomads who move to different regions each season. So far, the project has built one preschool center with an enrollment of 30 children. Parents pay $7 each month to cover the teacher’s salaries and other costs.