Frequently Asked Questions
Read the list below for answers to some of the most common questions we’ve received about Students Rebuild and our Projects. Have a question that’s not featured in this list? Email us at [email protected]!
More About Us
- 1
Is Students Rebuild affiliated with the Bezos Family Foundation?
Students Rebuild was founded by the Bezos Family Foundation and has flourished under its guidance for the past 14 years. Established to leverage the creativity and dedication of young people worldwide, together we tackled global challenges through the power of art.
To build on this incredible legacy and reach even greater heights, Students Rebuild is now transitioning to a new operating organization, Creative Visions. This exciting move will enable Students Rebuild to expand and thrive, benefiting from Creative Visions’ extensive experience and enthusiasm. We are excited about this new chapter and the possibilities it brings for even more positive change.
- 2
I thought they were called Challenges. Why am I seeing the word Project everywhere?
We initially referred to our initiatives as ‘Challenges’ because it seemed fitting. But as we’ve grown, we came to feel that the term ‘Project,’ (which we adopted in 2022 with the Welcoming Refugees Project) more accurately reflects our belief that, though global problems are large and complex, young individuals can unite and create meaningful change in the world.
- 3
What is Creative Visions?
Students Rebuild has a new home! Creative Visions is a global leader in developing and managing innovative education programs that empower youth to use storytelling and creative expression to take action on critical global issues. Our mission is to empower creative changemakers and drive change through impact storytelling, which closely mirrors the longstanding goals and commitments of Students Rebuild.
This transition will introduce new partnerships and ideas to Students Rebuild that will strengthen it and infuse energy and growth for years to come.
- 4
What is Students Rebuild?
Students Rebuild, a program of Creative Visions, is a global movement that inspires young people to use their creativity to engage with our world’s most pressing issues and create meaningful change.
For more, visit our How it Works page.
Participating In One Of The Projects
- 1
Is there an active Students Rebuild Project right now?
Yes! The Spark Peace Project, which kicked off in the fall of 2024, will run until the summer of 2025. Students can participate by creating a project that reflects their ideas about peace and compassion and submitting it through our website.
- 2
What’s the dollar match for each piece of creative expression submitted or each student who participates?
For every piece of creative expression or youth engaged, we make a $5 donation to our Impact Partners. Since 2010, more than $12.5 million has been raised, benefiting over 450,000 youth around the world. To incentivize youth to go deeper with projects that may take more time or effort, Creative Visions will trigger a $5 donation for each student who participates.
- 3
Where does the donated money come from?
The way it works is simple: our annual Projects invite students to respond to a specific problem affecting young people. Teachers and students explore the issue in class, create art based on their learnings, and send it to us. For every piece of art submitted, we make a financial donation to organizations making a difference in the space.
We ask them to make an impact by creating expressions that reflect their care and concern, and Creative Visions, with the generous support of the Bezos Family Foundation, donates based on those submissions. This approach ensures that youth from all backgrounds and countries can contribute to solving critical global issues.
- 4
When is the deadline to submit creative expressions to the Spark Peace Project?
The Spark Peace Project will end in June 2025. Please make sure to register and submit your creative expressions before then.
- 5
Why do your Projects require students to make something and submit it?
At Students Rebuild, we believe in the Carl Wilkens quote, “When you make something with your hands, it changes the way you feel, which changes the way you think, which changes the way you act.”
We’re hopeful that as Project participants work on the items they’ll send in, they think about the Project topic and the beneficiaries they’re helping. We want to give all young people a way to show they care, to feel empathy, and take action—and we’ll handle the funding!
Our unique model of young people engaging with large issues and deploying creative problem solving from all walks of life to learn, helps to build a global culture of care and empathy for future generations who will be tasked with tackling these issues in the future.
- 6
Do I have to be at a school to participate in a Students Rebuild Project?
No!
A lot of our Project teams join as classrooms or library groups, but many of our teams are service clubs (e.g. Key Clubs, 4-H, Girl Guides), art clubs, or diversity clubs. Individuals participate alone, museums and community groups start teams, homeschooling parents and their children participate, and we even have teams comprised of Big Sisters and Big Brothers working with their “Littles.” Faith groups gather in houses of worship to participate, and often friends with no affiliation to any group gather and participate.
So it’s completely up to you how you’d like to participate in the Challenge—what’s important is that young people learn about critical global issues, build empathy, and take action by creating the Challenge “call-to-action” item.
- 7
How many people should I have on my Project team?
There’s no minimum or maximum to the number of people you can have on a Challenge team. It’s common to be a team of one; we’ve also seen teams of hundreds of people! Just make sure you register for the Project here.
- 8
Do I need to register again for the current Project even if I already registered for one in the past?
Yes! Please register for the active Challenge even if you’ve taken one before. This helps us accurately track the number of items made and people involved with each Project.
- 9
Can I make more than one piece of art?
Yes! You can make as many pieces of art as you’d like! While many of our teams set stretch goals for the number of pieces of art they produce, we ask that they are intentional and thoughtful in the process of crafting each one.
- 10
What do I do if I don’t receive emails from Students Rebuild?
Try checking your junk/spam as a first step. As a second step, confirm Students Rebuild is on your safe sender list, or check with your organization’s IT department to make sure you can receive our emails.