We CU Wins Two Grants to Expand Outreach and Programming

We CU Community Engaged Scholars recently received two grants to expand service-learning and community engagement on the University of Illinois’s campus for the 2025-2026 academic year.

We CU has been awarded a $10,000 Provost’s Initiative on Teaching Advancement (PITA) grant. PITA grants are designed to support instructional and pedagogical innovation at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The grant is a unique opportunity to amplify We CU’s presence and expand faculty outreach. We CU will use the funds to develop an online toolkit and mini-grants program for service-learning instructors.

“We are grateful for this support, which will help us work more closely with faculty who are passionate about connecting students’ learning to the needs of our partnering organizations,” said We CU Co-director Katie Shumway. “Together, we can create meaningful experiences that benefit both students and our community.”

We CU also received a $1,000 community grant from the McKinley Foundation. The McKinley Foundation awards community grants to programs that demonstrate exceptional dedication to social justice and community in Champaign-Urbana. The McKinley Foundation grant will support Humanities in Action (HIA) programming in Spring 2026. A collaboration between We CU and the Humanities Research Institute, HIA supports undergraduate humanities students who are interested in pursuing engagement opportunities within the Champaign-Urbana community. Funding from the McKinley Foundation will directly support humanities students as they work to make Champaign-Urbana a more just and equitable community.

We CU Co-director Emily Stone believes these awards will have a lasting impact on We CU’s program offerings. “The combined support from the Provost’s Office and the McKinley Foundation is a powerful endorsement of our work. These awards will not only help us expand our program offerings and faculty outreach but directly empower students to learn new skills in partnership with community organizations.”

We CU Community Engaged Scholars is supported by the Office of Public Engagement and the Campus Community Compact to Accelerate Social Justice. The School of Social Work, College of Education, Humanities Research Institute, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute, and the University of Illinois Alumni Association also support We CU programming.