Welcome to the Winter 2025 Backpacker Go! Newsletter. Here you will find information about free academic credentialing resources and fellowship opportunities. This newsletter is dedicated to equipping you with the resources and support you need to thrive in your communities. It is created for you, and we value your voice—please don’t hesitate to share your suggestions or feedback on how we can better address your needs.

 

Finally, Article 26 Backpack stands in solidarity and support with all students who have been displaced by conflict, including those in Gaza, Sudan, and the Congo as well as those in Myanmar and deportees from the United States. As always, we urge displaced students around the world to store their documents safely and securely–however that may work best.

We have over 5,500 unique Backpack users and over 60 people who have received or are in the process of receiving their Badge!

 

 

In our last issue of BackpackerGo! we were thrilled to announce that we were awarded the Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship Program grant from USAID in conjunction with IIE and were working in conjunction with Spring University Myanmar to use the funds to aid college-aged youth (18-25)  in storing and sharing their educational background, training, employment history, and educational goals. Spring University, home to more than 21,000 enrolled students, was founded in May of 2021 with a mission to continue supporting higher education for young people and funding for at-risk communities.

 

With the installation of the new United States administration, a federal funding freeze was issued, specifically focused on halting USAID grants with an international focus. Unfortunately, that put our USAID grant in the direct line of fire.

 

We are saddened to share that we have officially received a termination notice on this grant and are actively working with SUM to figure out options for impacted students. The harsh reality of a political choice like the one made during the 2024 United States Presidential election is that organizations like ours will be targeted and face significant opposition from powerful sources.

Although this is a tough blow, we were able to successfully translate Backpack into Burmese thanks to SUM prior to the withdrawal of funding. With this new information, we have pivoted our focus in Myanmar to the continued enrollment of Burmese Backpack and exploring alternate options to assist students set to gain from this grant.

 

This dramatic shift in ideology seen in the U.S. underscores the importance of storing your academic and professional documents in a safe place, like Backpack. Although this may seem like a step backward, we are still fighting, harder than ever before, to promote Backpack and the Human Right to education in new and creative ways in the face of new obstacles.

 

Backpack is thrilled to continue our partnership with ECE Aid which provides assistance in evaluating foreign academic credentials to ensure they are properly understood within the U.S. education and employment systems. A credential evaluation from ECE Aid ensures that your qualifications are properly recognized when they transfer over to the US. Through our partnership with ECE Aid, we have been able to provide fee waivers to ensure credit evaluations are accessible to all who need them. Cuts to USAID have impacted our grants, particularly the grant we were awarded through USAID DISP to strengthen our efforts in Burma, nevertheless, Backpack is fortunate to be able to continue to operate to the best of our abilities and provide academic support and mobility for those who need it. 
 

On the morning of February 11th, the student leadership team behind the Article 26 Backpack, in collaboration with Meri Barseghyan and Varduhi Gyulazyan of Armenia's National Center for Professional Education Quality Assurance, introduced Հոդված 26 Ուսապարկ to an audience of over 50 educators and students. The Backpack is a vital tool designed to preserve and safeguard academic documents—documents that, when lost due to war, political upheaval, or natural disasters, can derail a young person's educational journey. The Backpack initiative aims to provide students, like those in Armenia facing conflict-induced document insecurity, with a secure, accessible platform for storing critical academic records. This simple but crucial tool ensures that students in crisis zones or vulnerable situations can maintain access to their educational progress, even in the face of adversity.

 

Megan Pusl, who is currently a third-year Political Science major and Human Rights minor at UC Davis, has dedicated herself to advancing the cause of educational empowerment. Through her work with the Article 26 Backpack and her collaboration with the Armenia-based team, Pusl is helping to ensure that young people across the globe can continue their education regardless of the challenges they face. The Backpack initiative represents a beacon of hope for students in conflict zones and other vulnerable areas, providing them with the tools they need to safeguard their academic future and build a better tomorrow.

As, Director of Armenia Communications, Pusl has worked tirelessly alongside local partners in Armenia, as well as the Backpack executive team—including Lauren Cegelski, Fiona Roche McNiel, Angelina Cicchini, and Gigi Ginocchio—to organize the Backpacker enrollment event scheduled for February 2025. The event, hosted via Zoom, featured a comprehensive presentation and live demonstration on how to create a digital backpack. The event, known as BEE (Backpacker Enrollment Event), engaged over 50 potential Backpackers, providing them with the tools and knowledge to secure their academic future.

 

During the event, Pusl and the Backpack team actively engaged with Armenian students, addressing their questions, concerns, and suggestions. They encouraged these students to not only take advantage of the Backpack, but also to become leaders within their own communities. By completing the Backpacker enrollment process and earning their Badge, students can take on the responsibility of guiding and supporting others in their peer groups. The goal is to empower students to assist their fellow learners, fostering a sense of community and cooperation among young people. Pusl states: “Even through small actions, such as setting up an informational BEE, we are able to aid in uplifting student communities across the globe, helping in any way we can to provide the foundations necessary for students to feel safe and protected. I am honored to be privileged enough to help in the creation of such an event- I have made incredible connections in Armenia and am incredibly excited to continue this partnership!”

Looking ahead, the team is eager for the next phase of the initiative, which will involve hosting an in-person enrollment event. At this event, students who have earned their badges will have the opportunity to assist their peers, helping them navigate the process of securing their own academic records. This event will also provide the necessary resources and platform for students to contribute to their communities in meaningful ways.

 

Megan Pusl, Director of Armenia Communications

 

 

Backpack is proud to announce that we now have over 60 Backpack Guides who have completed the badge or are currently in the process of completion. These Backpack Guides are now certified leaders ready to assist with the implementation of the Backpack in their communities. After completing the Badge program, Guides receive a digital Micro-credential through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education that displays they are equipped with the knowledge to help guide displaced young people and refugees through their educational journey. The Badge is an online course consisting of five educational modules. These modules focus on crucial topics like how to create a Backpack, how to properly host a Backpack Enrollment Event, and Backpacks security measures and policies. The Badge program is a valuable and vital resource that will continue to help Backpack fulfill its mission of enhancing accessibility and opportunity. UC Davis Backpack Guide, Gigi Ginocchio said “Completing the badge not only was efficient, but it also showed me how to navigate situations that may occur when holding a Backpacker Enrollment Event. The Badge program has given me the resources to implement Backpack in any community that needs it.” Through the Badge program a worldwide community of student leaders ready to help their communities utilize Backpack as a vehicle for academic mobility, success, and stability has been created.

 

 

 

 

The DAFI Tertiary Scholarship is a lifeline for refugee students who dream of higher education. Funded by the UNHCR and supported by the German government, DAFI offers a chance for refugees to pursue university or vocational studies, covering tuition, living expenses, and more. Designed for those with the potential to lead and make a difference, the program helps break down the barriers to education that refugees often face.

Reach out to the UNHCR through the DAFI Scholarship page to apply on a rolling basis.

 

 

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans is a fantastic opportunity for immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing graduate education in the United States. Offering up to $90,000 in financial support for tuition and living expenses over two years, this fellowship helps make graduate school more accessible. It’s open to individuals from all backgrounds, including those who have come to the U.S. as refugees or the children of refugees. Beyond funding, the fellowship connects recipients to a network of other “New Americans” who are dedicated to creating positive change in their communities and fields.

Application for the 2026 Fellowship is October 30th, 2025.

 

 

The Champlain College New American Student Scholarship is a need-based, full-tuition award for refugee and asylum-seeking students in Vermont. The scholarship is open to both traditional and adult online students, whether full or part-time. The program aims to provide opportunities for academic and personal growth in a safe and supportive context. Students can apply by November 15, 2025 for the 2026-27 school year. Deadlines for online single-semester applicants vary, so check the website before applying.

 

 

The Financial Aid Award at BI Norwegian Business School offers tuition waivers for students living in Norway under collective protection or refugee status. Established in response to the Ukraine crisis, this award is available to full-time students pursuing their first bachelor's or master's degree. It covers tuition for up to 3 years for bachelor's students and up to 2 years for master's students. Eligible applicants must submit a letter of application, CV, and proof of their status. Deadlines vary depending on the student's current location, and awards are renewed annually, contingent on continued eligibility. If you are currently living in Norway under collective protection/refugee status and seeking to complete a Bachelor’s degree, the deadline to apply is April 15. If you are currently living abroad and eligible to come to Norway to apply for collective protection/refugee status, for either a Bachelor's or Master’s degree, apply for admission and financial aid by June 30.

 

The University of Kent offers up to five Sanctuary Scholarships each year, in an effort to make higher education more accessible for all people. Sanctuary Scholarships are available to asylum seekers or the partner/dependent of an asylum seeker in the United Kingdom. The awards cover tuition fees and students will receive an advisor from Student Services to support them during their studies and to help access any support services. Applicants can apply to the University through UCAS, and contact headofssw@kent.ac.uk for application forms, due May 4, 2025.

 

 

The Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund (IIE-SRF) is a global initiative that arranges, funds, and supports fellowships for threatened and displaced scholars. Fellowships provide temporary academic positions at partnering higher education institutions worldwide, open to scholars from any country who are facing threats such as persecution, violence, or other forms of repression that prevent them from continuing their academic work in their home country. Fellowships are typically awarded for one year, with the possibility of a second year upon request. Each fellowship includes a stipend of $25,000, which is administered through the host institution. IIE-SRF accepts applications on a rolling basis, with fellowships awarded quarterly.

 

 

 

Education Credential Evaluators (ECE®) AID está proporcionando servicios de acreditación gratuita para mochileros. Estos servicios comparan títulos académicos y profesionales obtenidos en un país con títulos académicos y profesionales obtenidos en otro. Para usar el servicio de acreditación de ECE® AID, por favor envíenos un correo electrónico a backpack@ucdavis.edu.

Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE®) Aid fournit des services d’accréditation gratuits pour les Backpackers. Ces services comparent les diplômes universitaires et professionnels obtenus dans un pays aux diplômes universitaires et professionnels obtenus dans un autre. Pour utiliser le service d’accréditation d’ECE® Aid, veuillez nous envoyer un e-mail à: backpack@ucdavis.edu.

 

As you apply to universities and other institutions, remember to update your Backpack! We encourage you to review your Backpack and update it to reflect all of your academic and professional achievements prior to submitting applications.

Your digital portfolio can store items such as a resume, CV, creative works, and letters of recommendation and can be shared with educational institutions and employers in Backpacks.

 

Your educational portfolio can store items such as transcripts, diplomas, certificates, and letters of recommendation and can be shared with educational institutions and employers in Backpacks.

 

 

Using techniques borrowed from the humanities field of "digital storytelling," the Article 26 Backpack gives Backpackers a chance to record and upload an oral statement of purpose, "My Story/My Future.” The short videos also provide a way to bring a human face to the academic documents that are contained in Backpacks.

 

You choose what to upload, and you can choose if and when to delete your documents. You are in control of the contents of your Backpack.

 

 

This quarter Backpack is proud to spotlight one of our new interns, Quinn Bushey. Quinn is a fourth-year Political Science - Public Service and Psychology double major from San Luis Obispo. He hopes to pursue a career in law, potentially international human rights law. When we asked Quinn who inspired he said, “The human rights leader who is closest to my heart is Nelson Mandela. What he did for the democratization of South Africa amidst such immense personal suffering is incredibly inspiring. He embodies the values of justice, human dignity, and peace, which we all should strive for.” Quinn says the driving force in his decision to apply to intern at Backpack was, “the opportunity to put my passion to work. I strongly believe that every individual should have equal opportunity for education and employment, and tools such as Backpack can empower them to achieve these.” Quinn has joined Backpack as a part of the communications team, specifically, he has been working to find financial aid resources for Backpackers who need them and has been working as a part of the email correspondence team. Through Backpack, Quinn hopes to further develop his communication skills and find a groove as a part of a team. On the role young people have in advancing human rights, Quinn said they have the potential to make the most significant impact either on an individual basis through clubs, organizations, and events or on a collective level. We are so lucky to have Quinn on the Article 26 Backpack intern team!

 

 

 

Email us at Backpack@ucdavis.edu.