Civic Commitment Research and Teaching Grants announced The first set of innovative Civic Commitment Research and Teaching Grants was awarded this year. In January 2006, Chancellor Richard Herman charged his newly created Task Force on Civic Commitment in the 21st Century with “creating a sharpened and sustained curricular and co-curricular emphasis on advancing the public good.” The initiative aims to enrich research and teaching in ways that help explore how we as a university will help students and society meet the challenges of modern citizenship. Last fall, the task force issued a call for proposals from faculty members and administrators to address this ambitious campuswide goal. “The response to our request for proposals was extraordinary,” said Jim Wescoat, professor and chair of the department of landscape architecture, who also serves as chair of the task force. “We received approximately 70 proposals from a wide array of academic and administrative units. The RFP process helped task force members appreciate the depth of commitment to civic engagement that already exists on our campus.” Proposal topics range from a speaker series featuring global scholars who have put their lives at risk to lead their communities to a local K-12 program to help elementary students learn reading skills through science. The 16 projects that were awarded at least partial funding from the task force are listed below. For more information on the projects, go to www.oc.uiuc.edu/engagement.
- “African American Cultural Program: Fine Arts and Radio Outreach to Low–income and At-risk Children Elementary Through High School,” principal investigators: Nathaniel C. Banks, assistant dean of students, African American Cultural Center; Bruce D. Nesbitt, director, African American Cultural Center
- “The Afya project,” principal investigator: Idethia S. Harvey, kinesiology and community health; project team leaders: Ann Peterson Bishop, library and information science
- “Building Teacher Capacity to Support Civic Leadership and Global Citizenship,” principal investigator: Edward A. Kolodziej, director, Center for Global Studies; project team leaders: Steve Witt, assistant director, Center for Global Studies; Susan Noffke, curriculum and instruction
- “Civic Commitment and Public Engagement in Three Illinois Museums,” principal investigator: Helaine Silverman, anthropology; project team leaders: Boyd Rayward, library and information science; Brenda Trofanenko, curriculum and instruction; Carla Santos, recreation, sport and tourism
- “Community Matters,” principal investigator: Richard E. Warner, assistant dean, UI Extension; project team leaders: Kathleen Brown, Extension educator, community and economic development; James Becker, Extension educator, community and economic development; Janet Burnett, Madison County Extension director; Rachelle Holllinshead, Extension educator, community and economic development, Pattsi Petrie, urban and regional planning
- “Evaluating the Family Advocacy project,” principal investigator: Elaine Shpungin, director, Psychological Services Center; project team leaders: Nicole E. Allen, psychology; Gladys Hunt, Psychological Services Center
- “Expanding the Community Informatics Corps.,” principal investigator: Ann Bishop, library and information science
- “Facilitating Active Aging: A Community-Based Intervention project,” principal investigator: Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, head, kinesiology and community health; project team leaders: Hank Wildonson, natural resources and environmental sciences; Cory Rolfe; natural resources and environmental sciences; Chae-Hee Park; kinesiology and community health; Lisa Sheppard, kinesiology and community health; Leticia Malavasi, kinesiology and community health; Huei-Jhen Wen, National Taiwan University
- “Here and Now project,” principal investigator: Jan Erkert, head, dance; project team leaders: Kirstie Simson; Jason Finkelman; John Toenjes, dance
- “Immersing Students in the Disability Culture: Enhancing SPED 117 Course by Engaging Students in Service Learning project,” principal investigator: Rosa Milagros Santos Gilbertz, special education; project team leaders: Tony Oligney-Estill, program manager, Champaign-Urbana Special Recreation, Champaign Urbana Park District; Lester Pritchard and Barbara Pritchard, co-directors, Campaign for Real Choice in Illinois; Nancy McClellan-Hickey, executive director, Persons Assuming Control of Their Environment
- “International Engaged Scholars: The Risks and Rewards of Civic Engagement,” principal investigator: Patrick Keenan, director, International Human Rights Law Clinic, College of Law; project team leader: Stacey Ballmes, law
- “Learning Reading Through Learning Science: A Community EnviroTech Educational project,” principal investigators: Minosca Alcantara, assistant director, Women in Engineering Program; Timothy Strathmann, civil and environmental engineering; project team leaders: Susan Larson, director, Women in Engineering; Sherry Alimi, principal, Booker T. Washington School
- “Music Without Borders: American String Festival 2007,” principal Investigator: Scott W. Schwartz, archivist, musical and fine arts; project team leaders: Robin Kearton, Champaign County Community Center for the Arts; Louis Bergonzi, conducting and education/strings; Charles McNeill, chair, jazz studies
- “New Orleans Collaborative project,” principal investigators: Robert Olshansky, interim head, urban and regional planning; Lisa Bates, urban and regional planning
- “The Social Entrepreneurship Summer Institute,” principal investigator: Larry DeBrock, economics, associate dean for Professional Programs, College of Business; project team leaders: Collette Niland, assistant dean, Office of Undergraduate Affairs; Victor Mullins, associate dean, Office of Undergraduate Affairs; Amy Freuhling, senior associate director, Business Career Services; Teresa D’Urso, associate director, Office of Undergraduate Affairs
- “WILL Youth Media Workshop (Year Five),” principal investigator: Kimberlie Kranich, WILL outreach coordinator, co-director of the Youth Media Workshop; project team leaders: Shameem Pakha, Franklin Middle School teacher and workshop trainer; William Patterson, associate director of African-American Studies and co-director of the workshop; Dave Dickey, WILL radio producer and technical trainer for the workshop; Leon Dash, Swanlund Chair Professor, journalism, and workshop adviser; Arlette Ingram Willis, curriculum and instruction; Ann Bishop, library and information science
