Programs and Impact Archives - Page 4 of 7

Faculty in Focus

Raised Beds Raise Hopes at Widener University

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.

May 30, 2025

Faculty in Focus

Exploring Food Justice Through Action and Literature

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.

May 7, 2025

Programs and Impact

Periclean Partner Spotlight: An Interview with Krystal Barrett from the Center for Artistic Activism

In an interview with C4AA Programs Manager Krystal Barrett, she described how the Center for Artistic Activism helps faculty make civic engagement “fun, silly, and weird” by tapping into innate creativity. Since 2023, C4AA and Project Pericles have partnered to co-host webinars, sharing innovative resources that inspire students to engage meaningfully in democracy.

May 1, 2025

Programs and Impact

Art, Empathy, and Immigration: Hostile Terrain 94 Conversations at Wagner College

Wagner College hosted Hostile Terrain 94 Conversations, a participatory art exhibit co-created with Catholic Charities and La Colmena as the capstone for a Mellon-supported Periclean Faculty Leadership course. Students explored migration narratives through art, anthropology, and community engagement, memorializing lives lost at the U.S.-Mexico border and reflecting on immigration’s human impact.

April 29, 2025

Programs and Impact

Skidmore College Turns Passion into Action through Public Policy Competition

Skidmore College’s annual Make Your Voice Heard Public Policy Prize empowers students to transform passion into policy by writing letters to elected officials, proposing solutions, and advocating for local change. Inspired by Project Pericles’ D4D competition, it has engaged 120+ students since 2018, fostering agency, civic leadership, and real-world impact.

April 2, 2025

Faculty in Focus

Exploring Food Waste and Farming Policy: Professor Berry’s Dialogues in Environmental Studies

Professor Brieanne Berry, Civic Engagement Fellow at Ursinus College, integrated deliberative dialogues on food waste and the 2024 Farm Bill into her environmental studies courses. By assigning students stakeholder roles, she fostered critical discussions on tradeoffs, advocacy, and policymaking, showing how diverse perspectives strengthen civic engagement and environmental decision-making.

March 31, 2025

Project Pericles Welcomes nearly 50 New Civic Engagement Mini-Grant Recipients!

Project Pericles awarded 49 new Civic Engagement Mini-Grants to faculty and staff at 46 institutions across 21 states. Supported by the Mellon and Lang Foundations, projects span three tracks—Deliberative Dialogue, Beyond Media Literacy, and Voting Rights Expansion—equipping students with skills for civic leadership while contributing innovative strategies to our national resource database.

March 31, 2025

Faculty in Focus

Digging into Nature: How Environmental Literature Can Reshape Our Understanding of Today’s Ecological Challenges

Professor Eric Dean Wilson’s U.S. Environmental Literature course at Wagner College, supported by the Periclean Faculty Leadership program, combined literature with experiential learning at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and The Alice Austen House. Students engaged in ecological restoration, explored queer ecology, and deepened their understanding of cultural narratives, environmental stewardship, and civic responsibility.

March 25, 2025

Faculty in Focus

History, Sovereignty, and Civic Engagement

Professor Joe Hall’s Wabanaki History in Maine course at Bates College partnered with Wabanaki educators, Auburn Middle School, and the MOOSE project to create lesson plans supporting schools’ efforts to teach Wabanaki history. Students deepened their understanding of sovereignty and civic responsibility while developing resources that advance equity, education, and civic engagement.

March 18, 2025

Faculty in Focus

Fostering Civil Discourse: Dr. Emily Stacey’s Commitment to Deliberative Dialogue in Political Science

Dr. Emily Stacey, Periclean Fellow at Rose State College, integrated deliberative dialogues into political science courses on media, politics, and government. Students explored issues like hyperpartisanship, free speech, economic opportunity, and voting rights for incarcerated individuals, building confidence in civil discourse and preparing to engage thoughtfully as informed, empathetic citizens.

March 10, 2025