News

By Eliza Souers

Lee University was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) a s part of the National Inclusion Campaign of the American Immigration Council (AIC). Lee is one of six schools that make up the second cohort of the Inclusion Immigration Collaborative.

“As our current social climate is siloed in different political and ideological contentions, it is our responsibility as a faith-based institution to seek ways on how we can lessen them by creating a welcoming, listening, and missional community,” said Dr. Arlie Tagayuna, associate professor of sociology at Lee. “We must be open for dialogue and finding common ground and partnership to address issues that we all see as important.”

The grants are used to develop inclusive projects with the goal of engaging students with other groups. The projects will focus on building inclusive and welcoming environments for immigrant communities and those on the margin.

Lee’s project, “Project Mosaic,” will help to develop spaces for student involvement in fostering relationships and seeking sustainable partnerships with marginalized communities, including refugees and immigrants. It focuses on belonging and inclusion, with the goal of creating a more hospitable and accessible community with deliberate action and benevolence.

Project Mosaic is a collaborative work of faculty members and students from different areas of Lee. As part of the project, Lee plans to hold multiple events, panels, and activities over the next two semesters, such as a food truck event, a collaborative mural, and a welcome party for refugees and immigrants. A portion of the grant will also be used to extend the Center for English Language and Literacy’s class offerings to the Blythe Oldfield Community Association, and to support the Backyard Ministry to help students create long-lasting relationships and mentoring opportunities with youths in the immigrant community.

“This grant provides us some seed money to improve our students’ social contact and work with immigrant and refugee communities in our area,” said Tagayuna. “It is a privilege for Lee University to acquire this grant.”

The CCCU is an international association of over 185 Christian higher education institutions. They emphasize public advocacy, professional development and scholarship, and experiential education while maintaining a Christ-centered outlook.

For more information about the CCCU, visit https://www.cccu.org/.

For more information about the AIC, visit https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/.