KALAMAZOO –
Kalamazoo College has received a $23 million grant to endow the work of its Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership. The grant, made by the Arcus Foundation, will support a broad array of activities including; student scholarships and two endowed professorships, student internships and leadership development programming, faculty and staff fellowships, public lectures and conferences, local and global partnerships, and residencies for social justice scholars and practitioners.
"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."
The mission of the Arcus Center for Social Justice Leadership is to support the pursuit of human rights and social justice by developing emerging leaders and sustaining existing leaders in the field of human rights and social justice, creating a pivotal role for liberal arts education in engendering a more just world.
The Arcus Foundation grant is the largest grant in the College's 179-year history, and one of the largest given for a social justice purpose to an undergraduate institution in the United States.
"I know from my own experience the emphasis that 'K' College places on developing global citizens who can be effective agents of transformational change," said Jon Stryker, a Kalamazoo College alumnus and trustee, who founded the Arcus Foundation in 2000.
"Our intent in making this grant is to foster diverse leaders who advance social justice in all its dimensions – from anti-racism to economic justice to equality for all sexual orientations and gender identities. We envision 'K' College becoming the place to be for young people who aspire to develop the strategies and lead the work that will make our world more just and humane. This ambition maps directly to the values shared by the Foundation and the College."
The Arcus Foundation is a leading global foundation advancing social justice and conservation issues. Specifically, Arcus works to advance LGBT equality, as well as to conserve and protect the great apes.
College gets $23 million for social justice
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