Enrichment Grant Funding

The Goodnight Scholarships office provides enrichment grants to support scholars’ unique experiential learning opportunities, including study abroad, service trips, professional conferences and undergraduate research. Grants range in value from $200 to $5000, and scholars can apply for multiple grants in a single year.

Enrichment Grant Stories

Service Trip to Puerto Rico

Oscar Fernandez ’27 participated in an Alternative Spring Break trip to Puerto Rico through NC State’s Office of Student Leadership and Engagement. He chose the trip because of Puerto Rico’s rich culture, history of natural disasters, and the opportunity to support local communities through meaningful service.

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Grace Hopper Celebration

A group of Goodnight Transfer Scholars—Grace Abraham T’27, Chela Koech T’27, Ana Esperanza Vasquez T’28, Cindy Lopez Hernandez T’28, Nora Cam T’27, and Kaitlyn Barnard T’26—attended the Grace Hopper Celebration, the world’s largest conference for women and nonbinary technologists. The conference provided opportunities for networking, professional development, technical workshops, and access to a world-class career fair.

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Service Trip to Panama

Rishi Rau ’27 participated in a Public Health Brigade Alternative Service Break trip to Panama focused on water sanitation and health. The experience expanded his knowledge of construction and community development while showing him the impact that personal initiative and teamwork can have in improving local communities.

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Goodnight Trips

The purpose of Goodnight travel is to expose students to new opportunities and experiences that they might have otherwise been unable to, at little to no cost to the student. This year, students in both programs took advantage of state, national, and international travel experiences, all rooted in cultural enrichment, professional development, and/or service

GSP Mayventure: Iceland

We traveled to Iceland for an unforgettable trip along the southern coast. We started with a day in the capital Reykjavík, but the real adventure began on the road, where we got completely soaked exploring the Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss waterfalls, hiked a glacier in Skaftafell, and explored icebergs at Jökulsárlón in both kayaks and zodiac boats. To fuel our long drives, we made plenty of stops at the famous Bónus grocery stores along the way. We also got to tour the Friðheimar tomato greenhouse to see how they use geothermal energy for farming, which was incredibly unique. It was the perfect mix of learning about sustainability, pushing our comfort zones, and bonding as a group.

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“The best thing about Mayventure Iceland was the bond I gained with each scholar on the trip. The adventures and breathtaking sights were infinitely better shared with this group!”

Annie Heath
Applied Mathematics, Class of 2028

GTSP Mayventure: Denver

Denver was an opportunity for scholars to bond over shared travel experiences and unwind after an eventful academic year. Scholars had the opportunity to explore Denver, CO, a city filled with a booming metropolitan community, industry leading companies across multiple STEM fields, and crucial sustainability efforts, all while surrounded by the beauty of the Rocky Mountains . Students hiked state and national parks, attended a Colorado Rockies game, volunteered at an urban farm, and enjoyed exploring the city with their peers

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Lego Brick Build

LEGO Brick Build is an annual Goodnight Scholars service event that brings elementary and middle school students from local Boys & Girls Clubs across Wake County to campus each fall. This year’s theme was civil engineering, and students participated in a variety of hands-on LEGO and STEM activities centered around the theme. One of the featured activities challenged students to build earthquake-proof structures, giving them the opportunity to explore engineering concepts through creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Goodnight Scholars STEM Coaches

To pay it forward and promote STEM education, Goodnight STEM Coaches lead engaging, hands-on STEM activities with K-8 students. They help us expand our efforts to encourage the next generation of STEM students. STEM Coaches are trained to deliver and lead STEM enrichment activities with elementary and middle school youth. Examples of these events include STEM nights, science fairs, and after-school programs. STEM Coaches also lead virtual events and tutoring sessions, depending upon the needs of our partners. STEM Coaches are responsible for coordinating with their fellow scholars and on-site personnel during these events. We partner with a variety of community organizations, including the Boys & Girls Clubs, Communities in Schools, and Juntos.

This is an effort to continue our investment in students from low- and middle-income families in North Carolina who may not have access to STEM in their schools.

“The teachers were so thrilled that the Goodnight Scholars were willing to come back and really flesh out the learning from the STEM workshop. It obviously paid off! I remain so incredibly grateful!”

Linda Robinson
Academically Gifted/Advanced Learner Teacher
at Fox Road Elementary