The Center for Sustained Engagement with Lancaster at Franklin & Marshall College has announced awards of $15,000 apiece to three local initiatives.
The grants will support four-month community projects. The recipients are as follows:
- Black Artist Waystation: Led by activist Isaac Etter in partnership with YWCA Lancaster, the Black Artist Waystation supports local Black artists and aims to increase their visibility. It “celebrates the link between Lancaster as a waystation on the Underground Railroad, the struggle for freedom that continues today, and the rich tapestry of artistic expression that propels us forward,” YWCA Lancaster says. Etter is the co-founder of SafeHouse Lancaster, which merged with YWCA Lancaster in 2021.
- Diversifying Doulas Initiative: Dr. Sharee Livingston’s Diversifying Doulas Initiative connects non-White pregnant individuals with doula support, with the goal of reducing mortality and improving outcomes. It is a program of Patients R Waiting, of which Livingston is a founding board member.
- Strength-Based Skill Building: Witt Welch, a senior at F&M and education coordinator at Bench Mark Program, is leading the implementation of this all-day one-on-one mentoring program at Bench Mark for court-ajudicated youth. It provides 28 hours of programming a week, helping students build life skills and set goals.
Etter, Livingston and Welch are the second cohort of grantees. In the spring, the center awarded grants for initiatives promoting bail reform; building relationships between police and immigrant communities; and creating a mural to reduce the stigma around mental illness.
Projects must fit one of three focus areas: poverty and social inequality; environmental sustainability; and social practice and community-based art.
The Center for Sustained Engagement with Lancaster is a hub founded to foster collaboration between F&M and the surrounding community. It is funded through a grant from the Endeavor Foundation.
