President Bill Clinton announced the launch of the third annual Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) Commitments Challenge, a competition of ideas from college and university students in the form of a bracket.

The KHE Project, a commitment to action by Washington University Arts & Sciences students Emily Santos, Krupa Desai, and Henry Osman, is one of the “Sweet 16” projects selected to compete in the challenge.

“While we all pay attention to great student athletes during ‘March Madness,’ our CGI University Commitments Challenge celebrates great student ideas to address some of the world’s most pressing issues,” said President Clinton.

“Whether empowering poor families in Nepal to start their own fish farms, launching an annual event for disability rights, or securing engineering apprenticeships for students who’ve dropped out of high school in Kenya, these 16 new CGI U Commitments to Action in our ‘bracket’ competition reflect the passion, potential, and problem solving skills of our next generation of leaders.”

The KHE Project is a text-message based hotline to address the ongoing issue of gender violence in South Africa. Specifically, the KHE Project will connect victims of rape and sexual assault with counseling resources and educational materials, while preserving the anonymity of its users and taking advantage of the widespread use of mobile phones in South Africa.

Beginning today, vote for the KHE project (look for Washington University in St. Louis under the Peace & Human Rights and Public Health division) at www.cgiu.org/bracket.

Votes will be tallied and posted in real-time, and those not attending CGI U can follow the action at cgiu.org. The winning commitment will be announced at the closing session of CGI U, which will feature President Clinton and Stephen Colbert on April 6 at 3:30 p.m. CDT.

The 2013 CGI U Commitments Challenge Voting Schedule:

• The first round of voting will open today and will end Thursday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m. CDT
• The quarterfinal round of voting will end Monday, April 1 at 1:00 p.m. CDT
• The semifinal round of voting will end Thursday, April 4 at 1:00 p.m. CDT
• The final round of voting will end Saturday, April 6 at 1:00 p.m. CDT

The sixth meeting of CGI U will be held at WUSTL from April 5-7, falling on the same weekend as the NCAA “Final Four” men’s and women’s basketball championships.