Posted on January 19, 2012

Arcus Foundation Awards $23 Million to Kalamazoo College for Social Justice Leadership

Kalamazoo College in Michigan has announced a $23 million grant from the Arcus Foundation to endow the work of its Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership (ACSJL).

The largest grant in the university's 179-year-history will support a wide range of activities at the center, including student scholarships and two endowed faculty chairs; faculty and staff fellowships for projects related to social justice leadership; annual fellowships for visiting scholars, activists, artists, and thought leaders; a fund to help underwrite the costs of innovative social justice projects and programs proposed by students, faculty, and staff; an annual spring lecture series; and a summer internship program.

In addition, the grant will provide support for the Catalyst Project, a community-outreach and support initiative that will provide consulting and technical support to select Kalamazoo-area social justice organizations; the Praxis Center, an online resource center for scholars and practitioners of social justice work and leadership set to launch later this year; and ACSJL staff positions, including the co-director positions currently held by Jaime M. Grant and Lisa Brock.

"The breadth of the grant makes it exceptional," said Kalamazoo College president Eileen Wilson-Oyelaran. "The entire Kalamazoo College community is extremely grateful to the Arcus Foundation and its founder, Jon Stryker, for their belief in the mission of the college and the Arcus Center. Their support will help put Kalamazoo on a path to become a higher education leader in the field of social justice and leadership development."