Professional Development

Nashman Top Picks: Annual Conferences and Institutes

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U)

National Meeting held annually in January. In addition, the AAC&U holds several institutes through-out the year but particularly in the summer, on topics such as the engaged department, student success through high impact practices, assessment of student learning, transforming STEM education and integrative learning.

International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement Annual Conference (IARSCLE)

Conference held annually in Fall. Nearly 1000 researchers, students and practitioners committed to advancing research on service-learning and community engagement.

EPICS: Integrating Design and Service-Learning within the Curriculum

Summer Workshops held annually "EPICS is a unique program, founded at Purdue University, in which teams of undergraduates from a variety of majors design, build, and deploy real systems to solve engineering-based problems for local community service and education organizations."

Association for Experiential Education

National Conference held annually in October. Regional Conference held annually in March

Gulf South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement

Conference held annually in March. The mission of the Gulf-South Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement through Higher Education is to promote networking among practitioners, research, ethical practices, reciprocal campus-community partnerships, sustainable programs, and a culture of engagement and public awareness through service-learning and other forms of civic engagement.

National Service-Learning Annual Conference

Conference held annually in April and sponsored by the National Youth Leadership Council. Gathers more than 1,500 youth and adults from across the country and around the world, “for three days of learning, inspiration, and connection.”

Jon C Dalton Institute on College Student Values

Conference held annually in February. For over 25 years, the Jon C. Dalton Institute on College Student Values has brought together, "students, faculty, and professionals from inside and outside the higher education setting to discuss a common goal: preparing present and future students to become engaged individuals of integrity."

Nashman Top Picks: Funding for Community-Engaged Scholarship

Spencer Foundation

Research grants and fellowships, communications and networking activities. Mission: “We believe that cultivating knowledge and new ideas about education will ultimately improve students’ lives and enrich society. The Foundation pursues its mission by awarding research grants and fellowships and by strengthening the connections among education research, policy and practice through its communications and networking activities.”

Grants include: Large research grants, Small research grants: 4 areas of inquiry (relation between ed and social opportunity; organizational learning in schools, systems and higher ed; teaching learning and instructional resources; purposes and values of education).

Dissertation and Post-Doc Fellowships - tend to be due in October the year prior. Funding is not for data collection but for data analysis, data must be gathered prior to the funding cycle starting.
Mid-Career Grant program - tends to be due in October the year prior.
Strategic Initiatives: focused grant programs in 3 fields, one of which is the New Civics Initiative.
Funded opportunities in The New Civics
Deadlines for small ($50,000 or less) research grant proposals are received every 2-3 months. Fellowships tend to be due in October.

The Kellogg Foundation

The Kellogg Foundation funds initiatives relating to children, racial equity and community engagement. They support projects aimed at "inclusion, innovation and results in finding community solutions" including programs that foster new community leaders.

Bringing Theory to Practice

An initiative of the AACU

Program development for civic engagement, well-being and student learning.

Mission: Supporting and encouraging liberal education in linking the learning, well-being, and civic development of students. Bringing Theory to Practice was founded in partnership with the Association of American Colleges and Universities.

Funding for program development program start-up, research initiatives and creating program demonstration sites.
Smaller grants for seminars to gather campus constituents for meaningful conversations related to civic engagement, well-being and student learning.
The 2015-2017 RFP is focused on two categories of funding: $1,000 Well-being seminar grants and $10,000 Wellbeing Projects Research Grants.

Teagle Foundation

Support for projects to improve student learning in the arts and sciences. “Successful projects begin with evidence of need and result in evidence of change.”

“The Teagle Foundation works to support and strengthen liberal arts education, which we see as fundamental to meaningful work, effective citizenship, and a fulfilling life. Our aim is to serve as a catalyst for the improvement of teaching and learning in the arts and sciences while addressing issues of financial sustainability and accountability in higher education.”

RFP’s are typical by invitation. Funded initiatives are in the categories of: teaching and learning; college-community connections; outcomes and assessment; and the ExxonMobil Scholarship Program

Nashman Top Picks: Awards for Engaged Faculty

Ernest A. Lynton Award

Sponsored by the New England Resource Center for Higher Education

The annual Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty recognizes a faculty member who connects his or her teaching, research, and service to community engagement. An award for early career faculty (pre-tenure or within the first six years of service).

Nomination due in early May