CSU’s Civic Engagement Grants Support Community Well-Being, Student Learning and Academic Scholarship

Cleveland State University’s Office of Civic Engagement has announced the recipients of its 2015-16 Civic Engagement Grants.

Now in its second year, the Civic Engagement Grant Program recognizes faculty and staff who embody CSU’s passion for engaged learning by creatively connecting classroom, campus and community.

Made possible this year through funding from the Office of the Provost, grants ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 have been awarded to 16 faculty and staff members representing an array of disciplines.

“CSU is committed to expanding the traditional classroom into opportunities that benefit the community,” said Director of Community Partnerships Julian Rogers. “Connecting students with community partners has a dual benefit – we are able to share our valuable CSU resources to improve the community and expose students to civic opportunities that they will hopefully engage in beyond college.”

A few highlights from last year’s grant awards include:

• More than 200 CSU students directly impacted/participated
• More than 2,000 Cuyahoga County residents directly impacted/participated
• Leveraged tens of thousands of additional dollars
• More than 40 community organizations or companies participated
• Many new connections made between CSU and organizations within Cuyahoga County
• New connections made between faculty across disciplines

2015-16 Civic Engagement Grant recipients:

Faculty Civic Enhancement Grants support the work of faculty on projects or initiatives that are already planned to occur. Projects best exemplify civic engagement and may occur in partnership with grassroots or faith-based organizations, nonprofit institutions, local businesses, government agencies and offices or other public institutions such as public schools and libraries.

• Michael Dover, School of Social Work
• Robert Ferguson, College of Education and Human Services
• Mehdi Jalalpour, Washkewicz College of Engineering
• Antonio Medina-Rivera, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Tracy Porter, Monte Ahuja College of Business
• Mark Souther, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Faculty Civic Innovation Grants are designed to support innovative collaborations between CSU faculty and community-based organizations, local businesses, other public institutions or governmental agencies.

• Prester Pickett, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Robert Kleidman, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Mary Frances Buckley, College of Education and Human Services
• Lynn Deering, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Mary Milidonis, Violet Cox, Robin Chilton and Suzanne Giuffre, College of Sciences and Health Professions
• Stephanie Ryberg-Webster, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs

Civic-Oriented Research Grants are modeled after the community-based participatory research approach. To qualify for this grant, faculty must identify a community-based organization to collaborate on a mutually conceived research topic. The faculty member, along with impacted community members, must work together to determine the design and conclusions of the research.

• Madalynn Wendland, College of Sciences and Health Professions
• Maureen Whitford and Glenn Goodman, College of Sciences and Health Professions
• Mark Salling, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs

Central Neighborhood Alliance Grants are intended to leverage collective resources and support collaborative efforts within the Central Neighborhood. The selected projects must align with collaborative efforts already taking place in Central to improve educational and economic conditions within the community.

• Adam Voight, Marius Boboc, Anne Galletta and Glenda Cotner, College of Education and Human Services