Project SERVE

Spring has always been a busy season for us.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen engineering students across the country turn ideas into practical solutions designed around the lives of veterans and emergency responders living with injuries and disabling conditions.

We watched an adaptive e-bike system help a veteran return to cycling.

Residual limb warming devices were developed for Team USA para athletes.

We saw students develop a custom prosthetic to help an army veteran return to golf. And that’s just a few of the projects we’ve done!

This past spring also brought national recognition and growing visibility for the work happening across the Project S.E.R.V.E. community.

We were honored to be named to the Forbes Accessibility 200 list for the second consecutive year.

Our National Design Competition returned for its third year and our projects were featured by outlets including Fox News, Military.com, KPBS, WLWT, and more.

As always, none of this happens alone.

As we enter the summer season, we want to say “thank you” to the Project S.E.R.V.E. community.

To the veterans and emergency responders who trusted students with their stories, the faculty and university partners who guided the work, the reporters who shared the stories, our sponsors for their generous donations and our team behind the scenes.

We’re excited for what’s ahead.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up about 15% of engineers in the United States. Additionally, as of 2024, the share of women in engineering occupations was 15.4% (U.S. Census Bureau).

That’s why it’s been encouraging to see so many women participating across our collaborations throughout the academic year.

The future of engineering benefits from more perspectives, more experiences, and more people helping shape the solutions being built.

And it’s exciting to continue seeing women play such a strong role in that future.
If you’d like to partner or learn more about our work, get in touch with us: https://projectserve.org/contact

A lot of people see the finished project.

The adaptive bike.
The custom prosthetic.
The mobility solution.
The assistive technology.

But one of the most important parts of our work is what happens behind the scenes with the students building them.

They spend months working directly with the veteran or emergency responder they’re designing for, learning about their daily routines, limitations, goals, frustrations, and needs before developing a custom solution around them.

Along the way, they gain something many classrooms alone cannot fully teach:

How to design for actual human lives.
How to listen.
How to adapt.
How to solve problems with empathy, collaboration, and purpose.

And in the process, veterans and emergency responders receive personalized solutions designed specifically for them.

That’s what makes this model so powerful.
Learn more about how we work: projectserve.org/how-it-works

One of the most encouraging parts of this year’s National Design Competition was seeing how many women were helping lead the work.

More than half of the students participating in the competition were women, bringing their ideas, technical skills, research, and problem-solving abilities to projects designed for Team USA para athletes.

Across the competition, students spent months working directly with athletes to create adaptive solutions focused on mobility, comfort, performance, and accessibility in extreme winter conditions.

It’s exciting to see more women continuing to shape the future of engineering and human-centered design, especially in spaces where practical innovation can directly impact someone’s quality of life.

Thank you to Virginia Commonwealth University's College of Engineering for participating in this year’s National Design Competition!

The biomedical engineering seniors earned third place at this year’s competition, hosted by Biomedical Engineering at Virginia Tech, for developing a high-performance residual limb warmer designed to support winter para-athletes on Team USA competing in extreme cold conditions.

We appreciate the months of research, collaboration, and thoughtful engineering that went into projects like these throughout the academic year.
Read more on VCU’s blog: https://blogs.vcu.edu/engineering/2026/05/06/beyond-the-finish-line-vcu-students-engineer-safer-supports-for-winter-para-athletes/

How does it all work?

It starts with a real challenge.

A veteran or emergency responder with an injury or disabling conditions is facing something in daily life that doesn’t have an easy, off-the-shelf solution.

They reach out to us.

Project S.E.R.V.E. works with engineering faculty to understand the need and identify where a custom adaptive device could help.

Then, the project is matched with a university team.

A Project S.E.R.V.E. program manager helps guide the process, acting as the connection between the participant, students, and faculty.

From there, students begin designing a personalized solution.

Over the course of 9–10 months, the team researches, designs, tests, adjusts, and builds a custom device around the participant’s needs, often meeting virtually and in person throughout the process.

By the end, students gain real-world engineering experience, and the participant receives a solution built specifically for their life.

That’s the heart of Project S.E.R.V.E.

Human need. Student innovation. Personalized solutions.

This , we honor and remember the service members who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

We’re also deeply grateful for the veterans, military families, university partners, students, and supporters who continue serving others every day by helping veterans and emergency responders living with injuries and disabling conditions regain independence, mobility, and quality of life.

We’re proud to be part of this mission together.

VMI News recently highlighted a collaboration between Virginia Military Institute ECE cadets and Army veteran Jeremy Davis.

Over the academic year, the cadets developed custom hardware and software to make Jeremy’s over-the-bed workstation more accessible, allowing him to control his monitor and keyboard directly from his phone or computer.

It’s a strong example of engineering focused not just on technology, but on improving independence and everyday comfort.

We’re grateful to VMI for sharing the story and recognizing the work these cadets put into the project.

Read more here: https://www.vmi.edu/news/headlines/2025-2026/ece-cadets-aid-disabled-veteran-with-capstone-project.php

We’re honored to share that Project S.E.R.V.E. has been named to the Forbes Accessibility 200 for the second consecutive year!

The list recognizes organizations around the world advancing accessibility and inclusion through innovation, and we’re proud to be included alongside so many impactful companies and initiatives.
This recognition reflects the work of our university partners, engineering students, supporters, and most importantly, the veterans and emergency responders who trust us with their stories and challenges.

Every project starts with a conversation about daily life; what’s difficult, what’s missing, and what could make things easier. From there, students work alongside those individuals to create solutions designed specifically around their needs.

We’re grateful to Forbes and Assistant Managing Editor Alan Schwarz for the recognition and we’re excited to continue engineering with empathy!

Read the full announcement: https://projectserve.org/news/project-serve-forbes-accessibility
And see the full Accessibility 200 list: https://www.forbes.com/lists/accessibility/

This past Saturday was Armed Forces Day.

For us, it was a reminder of the veterans we’ve had the privilege of working alongside through the years; individuals who continue to adapt, rebuild, and push forward long after their service ends.

Many of the projects we support begin with a simple conversation about an everyday challenge. From there, students and veterans work together to create solutions designed around real needs and lived experiences.

We’re grateful for the opportunity to support those who have served, not just in recognition this weekend, but through ongoing collaboration and care.