Muhlenberg College Awarded $250,000 American Talent Initiative Grant
The grant, aimed at improving college access and success for students eligible for federal Pell grants, will allow the College to expand its highly successful Emerging Leaders Program.Thursday, October 10, 2024 09:06 AM
Students in Emerging Leaders participate in a collage-making event during the Fall 2022 semester. Photo by Kristi MorrisMuhlenberg College has been awarded a $250,000 American Talent Initiative (ATI) grant in support of its Emerging Leaders Program. Emerging Leaders, launched in 2009 and aimed at students from historically underrepresented and marginalized groups, offers students who have demonstrated leadership potential the opportunity to participate in an academically focused cohort that emphasizes curiosity, intellectual achievement and civic engagement. ATI’s grant is funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies and provided in partnership with the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program and Ithaka S+R.
“We’re very excited to launch this new effort,” says President Kathleen Harring. “Our mission compels us to recruit, support and retain a student body that looks like America — including our economic diversity.”
“We’re very excited to launch this new effort. Our mission compels us to recruit, support and retain a student body that looks like America — including our economic diversity.”
—President Kathleen Harring
The ATI fund, which is awarding $5 million in grants across 16 ATI member institutions, was created to support and expand promising practices that help more students from low-income backgrounds earn four-year degrees. Muhlenberg is among 16 recipients selected from a pool of 47 applicants.
Using the grant, the College will expand its Emerging Leaders Program, introduce a pre-college program for Pell-eligible high school students, increase faculty involvement, and bolster the program’s leadership development component. The aim is to create a comprehensive support system that spans high school through college graduation, focusing on not just access, but also success.
The College’s enrollment consistently has comprised more than 20% Pell-eligible students, who already graduate at higher-than-average rates. Muhlenberg’s progress in this area has earned it accolades for empowering social mobility in recent years, including ATI “High-Flier” status in 2023.
“The goal,” says Provost Laura Furge, “is to increase their graduation rates and first-year retention rates further by fostering a seamless transition from high school to college graduation and ensure academic success.”
The program aims to create a scalable model that supports student success from enrollment through degree completion.
“ATI’s grant will allow us to grow our Emerging Leaders Program so it can support even more talented students,” says Harring.
For more information about ATI, please visit americantalentinitiative.org.
