We’re looking for partners to help us identify and launch about 25 engineering projects that will directly benefit the world.
Each project will be completed by a team of about 5-10 Capstone students.
Whether the benefit is to an entire community or a single individual, we want to hear about opportunities for our dedicated, creative engineering students to develop solutions that will make a lasting impact.
Do you know of a need that could be addressed by a team of talented engineering students? We want to hear from you. There is no requirement to provide project sponsorship for a project you help us identify.
Your idea could become the foundation of a life-changing project. Maybe it's a software product that helps someone manage a physical condition. Perhaps it's an open-source cybersecurity solution that will protect thousands. Or a low-cost platform that provides educational content to a community in Africa (we've done this!). Anything engineering students can do is a possibility.
We have Mechanical, Electrical, Computer, Chemical, Civil and Construction, and Manufacturing Engineering and Cybersecurity students all waiting to be put to work for the benefit of the world.
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Every project has the power to lift someone in need, from a child walking with a new prosthetic to a community building safe classrooms with their own soil. But these life-changing efforts can’t happen without generous partners like you.
You can co-sponsor a Capstone project for as little as $1,000. Sponsors will be gratefully recognized in promotional materials and at public events, unless anonymity is preferred. You are not required to be involved with the execution of the project, but the teams will keep you updated on the progress of the project, as desired.
If you are part of a company or organization that might be interested in sponsoring a project, we would love to hear from you.
Each project costs us around $10,000 to complete.
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If you have a meaningful project idea and want to help fund it, you can play a powerful role in making it a reality.
By sponsoring your own submitted project, you’ll receive regular updates from the student team as the project progresses, and you're welcome to offer input or guidance throughout the process. Your level of involvement is entirely up to you; there’s no obligation to meet with the team unless you choose to.
This is your chance to combine inspiration with action—for the benefit of the world.
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When we serve others we serve God...He expects us to use our gifts, talents, and abilities to bless the lives of Heavenly Fathers children. We are to use the gifts we’ve been given: time, talents, and blessings to serve Heavenly Fathers children, especially the most vulnerable and needy.
We will update this list as we learn of additional project opportunities. These are projects we have identified as projects that can be done by an engineering Capstone team. We will continue to seek sponsors through August 2025 so that students can participate on as many of these projects as possible.
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Low-cost, Mutli-link Satellite Terminal
The Africa Central Area of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints requires remote internet for hundreds of thousands of remote members to increase self-reliance through education (e.g. Gospel Literacy, Succeed in School, BYU Pathway Worldwide, S.T.E.M. and more) and increase remote jobs (e.g. and Bloom). A Capstone team will design and develop routing software, prototype a dual-link village terminal, and test/evaluate the terminal with two spaced-based internet solutions in remote villages in Africa, providing cost-efficient, reliable internet connectivity across remote areas.
We are exploring a Capstone project in partnership with Center for Humanitarian Technology (CFHT) to support their Humanitarian Assistance and Response Platform (HARP), with a specific focus on aiding operations in Ukraine. A student team will collaborate closely with CFHT to develop a key software or systems component that enhances the platform’s ability to deliver rapid, coordinated aid in the region.
In partnership with Africompassion, students will design a low-cost, interlocking earth block machine that allows local families and schools to build safe, durable structures using the soil beneath their feet.
Working alongside Amparo Prosthetics, projects will focus on creating modular pediatric prosthetics and field tools that allow for compassionate care in clinics with limited resources. (Three unique projects)
Water for the Forgotten: Clean Water Access for the Navajo Nation
Roughly 30% of households on the Navajo Nation lack access to running water. In collaboration with tribal leaders, NGOs, and engineering mentors, this BYU Capstone project aims to design and pilot a modular, solar-powered water purification and delivery system. The focus will be on isolated households or clusters without infrastructure access, targeting uranium- and arsenic-contaminated groundwater, a major local health issue.
Modular Tractor for Sustainable Farming in Côte d’Ivoire and Beyond
This project aims to design a low-cost, modular tractor that can be assembled in Côte d’Ivoire using recycled or locally sourced materials. By equipping smallholder farmers with affordable mechanization, the initiative empowers rural communities to increase yields, reduce labor strain, and improve livelihoods. Sponsors will help bring accessible, scalable innovation to the heart of West African agriculture, including Côte d’Ivoire and five other African countries. Elevate will ensure this project is able to move forward and help as many people as possible.
Real-time Language Translation for Historic Site Tours
Real-time language translation is needed at places like church historic sites to enable visitors to fully engage with the tours and sites. The project will not only enhance the experience of non-English-speaking visitors but also empower tour guides to serve more effectively across language barriers without needing fluency in multiple languages.
Help bring dignity and comfort to students facing housing insecurity. This project will support a Capstone team in designing an ultra-efficient shower system for use in tiny homes. The goal is to provide a hygienic, space-conscious solution that fits the needs of students living in transitional or low-cost housing.
In many less developed places in the world, particularly in Africa, there is a need to help children with mobility limitations have a wheelchair than is usable and rugged enough to handle rough terrain in the bush. The wheelchair would be able to handle rough, rocky, dirt conditions and made from materials that can be available in these areas so they can be maintained and repaired easily and cost effectively.
Human Powered Machine for Breaking Down Concrete Debris
In poorer areas of the world after either natural disasters or war, it is hard to clean up the damaged concrete and rebuild. The inability to move debris and rebuild has creates horrible consequences. One solution is to create a simple, human-powered machine for breaking down concrete debris for recycling into new brick, road base or for reuse in other ways.
A BYU Capstone team will design a lifting device to help the Havasupai community manage trash more safely and efficiently. By making it easier to collect and remove heavy waste sacks, this project will reduce health risks for workers, protect the village from scattered trash and wildlife intrusion, and improve the overall cleanliness and dignity of the living environment. This effort directly supports the Tribe’s vision for a healthier, more sustainable future.
This project explores the the use of robotic kites to harness renewable energy from high-altitude winds. The goal of this project is to develop a small-scale prototype that charges a battery pack sufficient to power a single small household contributing to sustainable energy solutions in off-grid or mobile applications. This technology has strong potential for humanitarian applications, particularly in off-grid or disaster-affected regions where access to reliable electricity is limited.
A BYU Capstone team would develop a compact, low-cost water purification device to help provide safe drinking water to underserved communities around the world. The system would use UV LED technology to sanitize thousands of gallons of water daily, making a life-saving difference in clinics, homes, and villages.
Low-Cost Airway Simulator for Life-Saving Training
To address the global shortage of trained providers in airway foreign body removal, a BYU Capstone team is designing an affordable, anatomically accurate simulator that can be built using locally available materials in low- and middle-income countries. This hands-on project empowers students to apply mechanical design and medical innovation skills to create a scalable training tool that could help save the lives of children worldwide by improving access to critical surgical skills.
We're engineers, so we know how much everyone likes to work to the deadline. The "deadline" is July 31, 2025 for project ideas, and the deadline is August 22, 2025 for project sponsorship commitments. HOWEVER, the sooner we have projects lined up and know how many sponsors we have, the more able we are to ensure the right projects for students and the highest likelihood of success for those projects. So please let us know as soon as possible.
Project sponsorships do not need to be fully paid by this date. We need commitments by this date so we know which projects we can and cannot do.
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Can I choose which project I co-sponsor?
We recognize that many will want to sponsor or co-sponsor a specific project and will do our best to make that possible. Some projects are likely to be more popular than others, and when we have reached the full amount for sponsorship for a specific project, we will let you know so you can decide if you would like to co-sponsor a different project.
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How do you determine which projects will be completed?
Projects should have a humanitarian focus and be designed to meet a real need. They can involve physical devices, systems, or software, and should provide meaningful work for a team of engineering students over the course of a school year.
The scope can vary widely. Some projects may benefit entire communities, while others may be designed to help a single individual. Both are valuable. A project that changes even one life is worth doing.
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How do I send funds to help sponsor a project?
To begin the co-sponsorship process, please email us with the amount you’d like to contribute and, if applicable, the type of project you’re interested in supporting. We’ll follow up with any needed details.
You’ll receive an invoice from BYU, and your contribution will be paid directly to the BYU Capstone program through BYU’s Financial Services. The funding is treated as an educational grant.
We truly appreciate your support. Your generosity helps make this work possible.
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Can I fully sponsor an entire project?
Of course! To fully sponsor a humanitarian project, the cost is $10,000. There is no maximum to the number of projects you may sponsor. We are only limited by the number of projects we identify and the number of students in our program.
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What if I want to volunteer to help a team?
If you have a specific skill, facility, or other asset that might be beneficial for a specific project, please email us to let us know. We are not able to accept volunteer Capstone coaches for teams, but we can provide specific teams with a list of resources they may find helpful.
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My company might be willing to co-sponsor, but I cannot. How does that work?
We recognize that a $1000 minimum co-sponsorship educational grant is significant. If you work for a company that might be willing to help support this large humanitarian effort — and receive visible recognition as a co-sponsor — please email us to let us know. We are happy to reach out when provided contact information.
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How can I help if $1000 is out of reach for me?
We appreciate ALL assistance with our Capstone humanitarian initiative. For those who would like to help but are not able to co-sponsor a project, we do have additional needs.
We anticipate that some of the teams working on humanitarian projects will need to travel to work with people in the areas they are serving. We would be thrilled to have donations to assist students with Capstone travel expenses.
Donations for humanitarian project student travel can be made HERE. Please add a comment at the bottom that you would like this to go to "Capstone Humanitarian Student Travel Expenses."
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Who is assigned the IP for these projects?
While all Intellectual Property (IP) is assigned to the sponsor for a fully-funded industry-sponsored project, co-sponsors for these projects will not be assigned the IP unless a specific agreement is in place prior to the project. If you wish to co-sponsor a project and own a portion of the IP, that will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
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I completed the form, but no one responded to me. What now?
If you have not received a response from us after two (2) business days, that means something happened and we did not receive your information. Please feel free to contact us directly at allyson_gibson@byu.edu or 801-422-7962.
