Stories

At Waubonsee Community College, Periclean Civic Engagement Fellow Aaron Lawler integrates civic engagement into humanities courses, guiding students to register, vote, and reflect on democracy. Through letter-writing, advocacy against book bans, and critical discussions on sustainability, students connected classroom learning to real-life action, discovering their power as active participants in civic life.

At Widener University, Professors Bruce Grant and Ruth Cary’s interdisciplinary course Raised Beds, Raise Hopes combines biology, ecology, and writing with hands-on mentoring in a local elementary school garden. Supported by a Periclean Faculty Leader Course Enhancement Grant, the program fosters food justice, sustainability, and community, inspiring students to see education as civic action.

Professor Summer Harrison’s Food Justice and U.S. Literature course at Drew University, supported by a Periclean Faculty Leadership grant, partnered with local organizations to address food insecurity. Students connected literature with hands-on community work, fostering collaborations, strengthening local networks, and developing justice-centered approaches to civic engagement that will shape sustainable partnerships.