At a glance
Project Link, a student-led UW RSO, allows students to address community health needs through a volunteer translator program… Read full summary
- Funding received
- 2025-2026
- Large
- Awarded
- $7,950
- Funding partners
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- Services and Activities Fee (SAF)
Project Link, a student-led UW RSO, allows students to address community health needs through a volunteer translator program at Harborview Medical Center. By matching bilingual students with patients with limited English proficiency, the program improves communication, quality of care, and patient trust, while providing students with hands-on clinical experience. By investing in student certification, Project Link strengthens healthcare access for linguistically underserved communities and advances cultural sustainability through student-led community impact. Funds will be used to cover 15 students' exam costs.
Project Link is a student-led public and global health RSO dedicated to bridging the gap between students, public health practitioners, and community-engaged health practices. Through partnership with Harborview Medical Center, Project Link operates a volunteer translator program in which we match bilingual UW students with patients who have limited English proficiency, improving communication, quality of care, and patient trust while allowing students to gain clinical experience. Our Volunteer Translator Program currently includes approximately 50 volunteers, and we aim to expand this program further. However, many hospitals require a formal medical interpreter certification, limiting our program to just Harborview.
This proposal seeks $18,000 from the Campus Sustainability Fund to support 31 student volunteers in obtaining nationally recognized Medical Interpreter Certification (at a cost of $530 per exam) through the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI). These five-year certifications directly support students' professional development while advancing equity in healthcare delivery for linguistically underserved communities across Seattle-King County. Funds will be used primarily for exam fees, with supplemental support for study materials, transportation, and administrative costs, ensuring equitable access regardless of students' financial backgrounds.
The project strongly aligns with CSF priorities by promoting cultural sustainability, student leadership, and community impact. Certified student interpreters will contribute to more effective and culturally competent patient care while gaining long-term, career-relevant credentials. This project is straightforward, with strong feasibility, direct educational benefits to students, and efficient use of funds to support student volunteers within an existing RSO structure and established partnership with Harborview Medical Center.
In response to committee feedback, this proposal strengthens plans for longevity and leadership transition. Project Link will implement a structured succession model that prioritizes recruitment of freshmen and sophomores into volunteer and intern roles. These students will shadow the officer board and receive training in partner communication, program logistics, and certification coordination. A comprehensive transition binder, documenting timelines, contacts, budgets, and best practices, will be maintained and passed on annually to ensure continuity despite officer turnover.
The proposal also expands outreach and campus integration strategies. Volunteers will be recruited through Project Link events, social media, and collaboration with pre-health, public health, and global health student groups, as well as relevant academic departments. This broader campus engagement will increase awareness of language-access issues and strengthen interdisciplinary participation. Harborview Medical Center will receive regular updates through Project Link’s Volunteer Committee, in line with new cohort training. Additional coordination with the UW School of Public Health and local community clinics will support future program expansion.
Implementation will occur across the 2025–2026 academic year, including planning and partner confirmation in Fall 2025, certification preparation in Winter 2026, exam completion in Spring 2026, and evaluation and sustainability planning in Summer 2026. Long-term sustainability will be supported through peer mentorship, institutional partnerships, and future grant funding. By investing in student medical interpreter certification, this project creates lasting educational value for UW students while strengthening culturally sustainable healthcare access for diverse communities, embodying the Campus Sustainability Fund’s commitment to equity, longevity, and student-driven impact.
Project Link is a public and global health focused student-run organization. Our goals are to provide UW students with opportunities to learn from public health practitioners and educators, and to apply that knowledge to real-world community challenges. One of the key ways we’ve advanced this mission is through our partnership with Harborview Medical Center, where we help match bilingual students to patients with limited English proficiency, improving communication, access to care, and culturally competent approaches. Our Volunteer Translator Program currently involves approximately 50 multi-lingual UW students, and we plan to expand this effort even further. However, many hospitals require formal language certification before students can volunteer, which has become a key bottleneck for our program.
With the goals of expanding this program throughout the greater Seattle-King County community, we propose supporting program participants in obtaining professionally recognized medical interpreter certifications. These certifications, provided through the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI), are valid for five years and cover the most common languages spoken by our volunteers: Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Vietnamese, and Korean.
This project strongly aligns with the Campus Sustainability Fund’s mission and criteria by promoting cultural sustainability, student leadership, and community investment.
- It advances equity and inclusion by improving access to linguistically and culturally appropriate healthcare for historically underrepresented and underserved populations.
- It fosters student education and leadership through professional development and culturally responsive training.
- It strengthens community partnerships by connecting UW students with diverse patient populations and community health networks.
By investing in UW students’ attainment of medical interpreter certification, we aim to ensure the longevity of their contributions to equitable healthcare and the sustainability of Project Link’s impact.
Project Link is an entirely student-led RSO. To increase feasibility of this project, leadership will be structured around defined officer roles to ensure accountability and continuity:
- Anna Valpiani, our Volunteer Director, will oversee collaboration with Harborview Medical Center, ensure compliance with program guidelines, and manage logistics.
- Olivia Yoon, our Financial Director, will develop a detailed budget for certification costs, materials, and administrative expenses.
- Amber Lyu, our Volunteer Committee Intern, will expand engagement with local community clinics and language-access organizations to explore potential partnerships and expansion sites.
- Ram Pathi, our Fundraising Chair, will support Anna in coordinating certification preparation and volunteer outreach.
- Emily Sui, our President, will support Anna and Amber in evaluating the efficacy of our program by developing impact assessments, including participant feedback.
To ensure project sustainability, we plan to formalize a peer mentorship model where certified student interpreters guide new cohorts. This structure will maintain leadership continuity and strengthen student-to-student knowledge transfer across academic years.
If our LOI is approved, Project Link’s leadership team will focus on enhancing feasibility and long-term sustainability through the following steps:
1) Stakeholder Engagement and Institutional Buy-In
- Meet with Harborview Medical Center volunteer supervisors to formalize support for certification through our program and confirm pathways for certified volunteers to serve in more advanced roles.
- Engage the UW School of Public Health and Department of Global Health to align the project with institutional goals and explore academic recognition or partnerships.
- Consult with community-based health organizations (e.g., Asian Counseling and Referral Service, Sea Mar, International Community Health Services) to identify needs for multilingual volunteer engagement.
2) Clarify Student Leadership and Organizational Structure
- Develop written role descriptions for each officer and outline clear accountability measures.
- Establish a succession plan to ensure sustainability beyond the current officer team.
- Create internal documentation for certification application processes and budget management for future cohorts.
3) Budget Research and Financial Planning
- Conduct detailed cost analyses for NBCMI certification, including written and oral exams, study materials, and administrative fees.
- Identify co-funding or sponsorship opportunities through UW departments and Harborview to complement CSF funding.
- Draft a multi-year sustainability plan for maintaining certification access for future volunteers.
4) Project Implementation and Timeline Development
- Design a project timeline including certification workshops, application deadlines, and evaluation checkpoints.
- Identify and address barriers such as exam scheduling, cost, or language availability.
5) Evaluation and Impact Measurement
- Track the number of students certified and gather qualitative feedback both from participants and clinical staff.
- Include pre- and post-certification surveys to assess student growth in confidence, professionalism, and cultural competence.
This project directly builds on Project Link’s established partnership with Harborview Medical Center and its commitment to addressing language-based health inequities. By equipping student volunteers with formal medical interpreter certification, we will enhance the quality of care for patients with limited English proficiency, foster meaningful community relationships, and support UW students’ professional development in culturally responsive health work. This initiative exemplifies CSF’s values of sustainability, equity, and student-led innovation, creating lasting impact for both the communities served and the students leading this effort.
Liz Lancaster
Director, Finance and Administration
- liz1@uw.edu
- Affiliation and department
- UW School of Public Health Office of the Dean
- Stakeholder approval form
Request amount and budget
We are requesting $18,000 in CSF funding to support the certification of student volunteers participating in Project Link’s Volunteer Translator Program at Harborview Medical Center. The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI) exam costs $530 per person, and we currently have 31 volunteers proficient in NBCMI-offered languages (Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Russian).
The requested funds will primarily cover:
- Medical Interpreter Certification Exam Fees for eligible student volunteers (~$16,430 total)
- Administrative and Supplemental Costs including study materials, transportation to testing centers, and potential cancellation/rescheduling fees.
This budget supports equitable access to professional certification by reducing financial barriers for students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. The certifications are valid for five years, ensuring a long-term impact that extends beyond the project timeline. Our team will refine the budget during the full proposal stage through stakeholder engagement with Harborview Medical Center and the UW School of Public Health to confirm exact participant numbers, identify potential co-funding or sponsorship opportunities, and ensure cost-effective implementation.
How the project will react to funding reductions
10% Funding Reduction:
- Given a 10% Funding Reduction, our project would experience less flexibility overall, though would remain feasible. A portion of our budget has been allocated to unforeseen test cancellations or rescheduling, reservation of study spaces for participants, and UCAR transportation to testing sites. Reducing our budget from $18,000 to $16,200 would allow us to purchase a maximum of 30 exams, with only $300 available for transportation, cancellations, or reservation of study spaces.
20% Funding Reduction:
- A 20% Funding Reduction would alter our budget from $18,000 to $14,400. Our project would be able to purchase a maximum of 27 exams with only $90 to put towards additional costs (unforeseen cancellations, transportation, and study support). We would likely further reduce the number of tests offered in order to compensate for these secondary costs. Though still feasible, the project would have a reduced capacity of about 24 participants.
50% Funding Reduction:
- A 50% Funding Reduction would result in a budget of $9,000, which would halve the number of exams we are able to purchase, with a maximum of 17 exams (not including budget allocation to additional costs). When considering additional costs, we would likely cap capacity at 15 exams, leaving $1,050 to be put towards unexpected cancellations, study support, and transportation.
Plans for financial longevity
Based on our current timeline, the project will be completed after Spring 2026, with review of the process to occur in Summer 2026. From now until implementation, our project will be overseen by 5 of our board members:
- Olivia Yoon, our Financial Director, will coordinate with our Fiscal Admin to address program expenses and adhere to the project timeline and budget.
- Ram Pathi, our Fundraising Chair, will support Olivia in coordinating budget utilization and will assist Anna in certification preparation and volunteer outreach.
- Anna Valpiani, our Volunteer Director, will oversee collaboration with Harborview Medical Center, conduct volunteer outreach, and manage logistics.
- Amber Lyu, our Volunteer Committee Intern, will expand engagement with local community clinics and language-access organizations to explore potential partnerships and expansion sites.
- Emily Sui, our President, will support Anna and Amber in evaluating the efficacy of our program by developing impact assessments, including participant feedback.
Following completion of the project (Spring 2026), project leads will reflect on the program's efficacy. Board members will gauge long-term establishment of the project and compile results to prepare for future CSF grant applications. These reflections and preparations will be shared with incoming board members following identification of future project leads. Past application materials will also be shared to provide a foundation for future grants.
Fall 2025: Planning and Coordination
- Meet with Harborview Medical Center staff and UW faculty advisors to confirm certification goals and participant eligibility.
- Identify and confirm the 31 student volunteers pursuing certification.
- Begin outreach to the National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters (NBCMI) for logistical coordination and exam scheduling guidance.
- Develop leadership roles within the Project Link officer team to manage coordination, communication, and impact review.
Winter 2026: Preparation and Training
- Facilitate study groups and provide access to NBCMI-aligned training materials.
- Organize practice exam with reserved testing space.
- Finalize exam registration and scheduling for all participating students.
Spring 2026: Implementation
- Students complete the NBCMI certification exam.
- Gather feedback from participants and Harborview supervisors on training and certification experiences.
- Begin planning for program expansion to other community clinics and hospitals across King County.
Summer 2026: Evaluation and Expansion Planning
- Evaluate project outcomes: number of students certified, satisfaction surveys from participating volunteers, and feedback from Harborview volunteer coordinators and staff.
- Compile a report summarizing program effectiveness and recommendations for scaling to other community health organizations and hospitals in Seattle-King County.
- Develop future grant applications/funding sources for continuation of certification program.
Plans for long-term project management
Members of the Project Link board who are graduating in spring have already identified an existing board member as a capable candidate for president. Following graduation, the project leaders will meet with this officer (who is currently a member involved in this project) to explain the process of applying, progress of the program, and future steps to be taken. Additionally, we will assist the incoming president in selecting active board members to manage different parts of the project. In terms of filling the board following graduation, we will focus on recruiting first- and second-year students beginning in May, based on participation in Project Link events, demonstration of strong communication skills, and alignment with Project Link goals and values. Following their recruitment, these students will act as "interns" and shadow the officer board to receive training in maintaining communication with Harborview and in managing the volunteer program. Additionally, the graduating board members will provide a binder recording past, current, and future project materials for the new board to reference. Ideally, officers fulfilling roles on the Finance Committee will take on future grant applications and manage the project in collaboration with the Volunteer Committee.
Problem statement
The specific sustainability-related issue Project Link aims to address is the systemic inequity in healthcare access for Limited English Proficiency (LEP) populations at the University of Washington and its clinical partners. Within the framework of the UW’s commitment to sustainability, "Social Sustainability" is a core pillar; it requires building resilient systems that ensure health, equity, and human rights for all community members. Currently, the healthcare system faces a sustainability crisis regarding linguistic access. When patients cannot communicate effectively with providers, it leads to many inefficiencies, such as lack of patient trust and inadequate quality of care.
Project Link currently manages a Volunteer Translator Program with 50 multilingual UW students, yet we have reached a "sustainability ceiling." The lack of formal medical interpreter certification prevents these students from being fully integrated into the clinical environment. This creates a volunteer base that cannot legally or professionally fulfill linguistic roles in many hospitals. By failing to certify these students, many volunteers are underutilized, hindering our ability to provide long-term, consistent, and culturally responsive care to Seattle’s diverse population. Additionally, many of these volunteers are among historically underrepresented populations. This project seeks not only to improve patient experience, but to address systemic inequities among the healthcare workforce as well.
Our partnership with Harborview Medical Center has highlighted a critical service gap. Despite the best efforts of staff interpreters, the demand for diverse languages often exceeds our supply. Our past work with the Volunteer Translator Program has shown that while students have the linguistic capacity, they lack the formal training in medical certifications required for many other hospital practices. Students are also eager to take on a more involved role in clinical care. Our volunteers desire to gain experience in healthcare practice that goes more in-depth than general informational roles. Obtaining medical interpreter certifications would allow volunteers to develop their linguistic skills while gaining hands-on experience essential to healthcare careers.
Problem context
Project Link occupies a unique niche that complements several existing university pillars:
- UW Medicine & Harborview Interpreter Services: Currently, Harborview manages a team of staff interpreters and a Bilingual Staff Certification for employees. However, this certification is generally reserved for paid staff and faculty. Project Link acts as a vital "pre-professional" feeder. By formalizing our certification process, we ensure our 50+ volunteers meet the rigorous standards expected by UW Medicine, effectively reducing the training burden on the hospital while expanding their capacity to serve LEP patients.
- The School of Public Health (SPH) & Pre-Health Pathways: Many UW students pursue hands-on experience through shadowing or general volunteering. Project Link elevates this by offering a professionalized clinical skill. Our proposal complements the SPH’s mission of health equity in practice by providing a structured environment where students apply their cultural background as a professional asset, moving beyond observational roles into active patient advocacy.
- Pre-Health and Public/Global Health Student Communities: Our program will offer stronger connections between pre-health and public/global health interested students at UW. Students who qualify for bilingual medical interpretation will be able to connect more directly through this initiative, building strong community ties between current students.
Our proposal will compliment existing initiatives for increased collective action by directly connecting volunteer work to future career development. We promote equity in the workforce by uplifting historically underrepresented students and providing them with a marketable, high-demand skill set. This initiative also strengthens Project Link's existing partnership with Harborview, as we provide uniquely trained and qualified students to improve quality of care and patient experience.
Measure the impacts
| Impact / goal | Metric(s) of success | UW stakeholders impacted |
|---|---|---|
| Cultural Sustainability | 31 people engaged | Undergraduate |
| Long-term Career Development | 5 years | Undergraduate |
Education and outreach goals
We will coordinate with the School of Public Health and the Department of Linguistics to reach students with multilingual skills and pre-health interests. Additionally, we will utilize existing interest in pre-health experience by collaborating with other healthcare-focused RSOs to promote this opportunity. Most immediately, we will promote this opportunity among existing Harborview Volunteer Translators and encourage Project Link members to join our Translator Program. We will also provide UW pre-health, pre-med, and public health advisors with informational flyers, as nationally recognized interpreter certification is a valuable pre-professional skill. Ultimately, we hope to expand our Volunteer Translator program to additional hospitals and health centers while providing leadership opportunities to long-term and qualified volunteers.
We will also focus on digital promotion through social media posts on Project Link's Instagram and reposting of these promotions in collaboration with other pre-health RSOs social media. Specifically, we will spotlight the work of current student volunteers and emphasize the tangible impact of our translator program as it stands. Volunteers are recruited through interest forms posted on Project Link's social media and provided at our events. Based on language needs, they are then trained in collaborative sessions with our Volunteer Committee and Harborview’s staff. The program provides a unique opportunity for multilingual pre-health students to gain valuable experience in the field and to interact firsthand with patients. It also helps improve the quality of care for patients utilizing UW’s medical services.
In terms of physical outreach, we will promote our programming through tabling at Red Square and the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students Pre-health conference. Such strategies will allow us to reach a diverse audience of UW students, as well as high schoolers transitioning into college.
Student involvement
Our project centers on student professional development through volunteer opportunities, nationally recognized certification, and mentorship. Students participating in our project have a unique opportunity to utilize their linguistic skills on a professionally-recognized scale. By obtaining official medical interpreter licenses, these students will have greater involvement in clinical settings through their volunteer work. This certification also provides long-term career investment as they are valid for five years and renewable at a smaller cost than the initial exam fee. These certifications also evaluate students' skills as interpreters, training them for long-term career success in multilingual contexts. Additionally, students who obtain medical interpreter licenses will be encouraged to take on mentorship roles within Project Link, such as through applying to be a board member or assisting in new-volunteer training. Students who obtain a medical interpreter license in the current cohort will also provide unique guidance to volunteers in future cohorts.