Fund for 蘑菇短视频supports cultural, educational programming to improve student retention
Participants in programming offered by 蘑菇短视频鈥檚 Project C.A.R.E. prepare to hit the slops at Cataloochee Ski Area thanks to support from an 1889 Impact Grant.
By Bill Studenc
With the help of $5,000 in funding from the 1889 Impact Grants Program, Western Carolina University鈥檚 Office of Intercultural Affairs increased cultural and educational programming and enhanced efforts to support student success and retention.
Through the office鈥檚 Project C.A.R.E. (Culturally Aligned Retention Enhancement), staff members developed new programs to provide early intervention activities for students at risk of not being retained by 蘑菇短视频and created opportunities for students to be supported in their pursuit of academic success.
Project C.A.R.E. staff also coordinated activities during the 2024 spring semester to foster a sense of community among first-year and transfer students. Events 鈥� which included taking students to a ballet performance, visiting Cherokee for horseback riding and hitting the slopes of Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley 鈥� all were part of efforts to establish community among students while introducing them to new ideas, cultures and arts.
The activities, which were made possible by 1889 Impact Grants Program funding generated through contributions to the Fund for WCU, were designed to expose students to programming that enhances their educational experience, cultural competence and overall wellbeing, said Evelyn Rucker, director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs.
鈥淭hese programs intentionally create a sense of awareness of varying backgrounds, communities and viewpoints and provide students the opportunity to interact with on- and off-campus resources.鈥疶hese interactions give students the chance to bond, helping them build community within the university,鈥� Rucker said.
The programming has proven productive, she said. The 2023-2024 cohort of Project C.A.R.E. mentees, consisting of first-year university students, finished the year with a cumulative GPA higher than the cumulative GPA for the general population of first-year students at WCU, Rucker said.
Launched in 2021, the 1889 Impact Grants Program is designed to provide a consistent source of funding for colleges and other units at 蘑菇短视频in support of initiatives that enhance the engagement of alumni and community stakeholders with the philanthropic activities of the university.
Funding for the program comes from annual contributions to the Fund for WCU, including leadership gifts from members of the 1889 Club, which recognizes donors for gifts made on an annual basis to the Fund for WCU. The club, among four giving societies established by the Division
of Advancement to celebrate the impact of philanthropy on the institution, is named in honor of the year of WCU鈥檚 founding.
Campus partners requested more than $176,000 in 1889 Impact Grants through 23 campuswide grant applications for the 2023-2024 academic year, and the Division of Advancement allocated $47,000 overall for 12 projects, a slight increase from the $43,500 in grant funding awarded last year.
The 蘑菇短视频Foundation Board Executive Committee reviews all submissions and selects the awardees in the fall of each year. In addition to the 1889 Impact Grants Program, the Fund for 蘑菇短视频provides first-year access scholarships to new incoming freshmen and transfer students and supports ongoing donor stewardship efforts. To learn more about the 1889 Impact Grants Program, visit the Fund for 蘑菇短视频website.
