Spring 2019 Innovation Grants

Now in its eighth year, the Innovation Grants program has inspired so many wonderful programs on campus.  Take a moment, if you can, to review some of the past proposals as we celebrate the successful Spring 2019 proposal.

The Innovation Grants Program will continue for three more years; the Committee is discussing structure for the next years and will share its plans after appropriate consultations. 

This spring, we receives six proposals, a lower number than normal, and we are funding one.  While several of the other proposals certainly had merit, the committee provided feedback to the unsuccessful grant writers to indicate why their proposals were not funded.  The Committee reminds all potential grant writers that the program is intended to improve the quality of life for the St. Lawrence community in new ways, that it cannot purchase replacement equipment, grants should not require future university funding to sustain them, we cannot hire personnel, and all proposals must have at least one employee sponsor for continuity.

Spring Award

Community Circle Training
Kayla Schlenz, Christopher Marquart, Kathleen Buckley

We are seeking funding to adopt a Restorative Circle Community Building model into the Residential Life at St. Lawrence University. This model would focus on bringing outside facilitators in to host a training for key members of Student Life and Faculty who work closely with Residence Life and specifically are involved in the FYP. The training would focus on Community Building Circles with the goal of these circles becoming integrated into the Residential Experience at SLU.

Specifically, the Professional Staff within Residence Life will then be able to train Community Assistants (CAs) in Community Building Circles. This will create a community building model where circles focus on inclusion, communication, and giving everyone in the community an equitable voice. We hope to normalize these practices as part of the Residential Experience. We believe this will (1) Enhance individuals Residential Experience at St. Lawrence University by providing integrative and proven community building practices and therefore increase the overall sense of community within FYPs, (2) Help students to develop healthy communication skills to resolve conflicts within their communities, (3) Set the stage for additional Restorative Practice models to be offered for students (including but not limited to restorative conferences and restorative community circles), and (4) Begin to shape student’s St. Lawrence experience as a place where they learn the skills to deepen community. This proposal is a collaborative effort between Residence Life, Office of Diversity and Inclusion, Chaplains Office, and Peace Studies.