2026 Award Recipient
LauraJablonover
Project Project Happy Feet
Project Project Happy Feet
Laura is the founder of Project Happy Feet, a student-run organization that collects and donates athletic shoes and sports equipment to students in low-income schools across the U.S. and also in the Philippines.
The idea came the summer before her junior year, when Laura learned that students at a Washington, D.C. school could not participate in sports simply because they lacked the gear. As a competitive track athlete, she was struck by the inequity. She went door-to-door in her neighborhood, set up an Instagram account, and collected over 100 pairs of shoes in less than a month.
Project Happy Feet mobilizes student ambassadors at schools across the country, who manage hand-painted collection boxes and fill them with donated athletic shoes and equipment. Donations are cleaned, sorted, and delivered directly to low-income schools in person. What makes the model distinctive is who runs it: every ambassador is a student-athlete who understands firsthand what it means to participate in sports and the importance of having the proper gear.
Project Happy Feet has grown to 13 states, 40 schools, and more than 60 student volunteers, donating over 3,000 pairs of shoes and equipment.
A student-run international organization that collects and donates athletic shoes and sports equipment to students at low-income schools, ensuring every young athlete has the gear they need to play.
