
President Ron Cole ‘87 was named Board Chair of Project Pericles, a national consortium of colleges and universities committed to including participatory citizenship and social responsibility as essential elements of their educational programs.
“It’s an honor to serve with such a dedicated Board and talented leadership team for Project Pericles to put us at the forefront of promoting civic leadership through our national consortium of colleges and universities,” said President Cole.
Founded by educational philanthropist Eugene M. Lang in 2001, Project Pericles is at the forefront of promoting civic engagement in areas including faculty and curriculum development, research into best practices, and student engagement. Working in the classroom, on the campus, and in the community, Project Pericles and its member institutions have a wealth of experience in developing programs that integrate civil dialogue, civic engagement, and community-based learning across the college experience, most importantly, in the curriculum.
Richard Ekman, Project Pericles Outgoing Board Chair and President Emeritus of the Council of Independent Colleges said, “With a wise and seasoned advocate for civic education, Ron Cole, just beginning as the chair of the board of directors. Project Pericles has a bright future indeed.”
Periclean colleges and universities offer curricular and co-curricular initiatives that prepare and encourage students to become active, responsible citizens.
Membership in Project Pericles national consortium is aligned with goal four of the College’s landmark Strategic Pathway, which states that Allegheny will be involved in and be a part of the greater Meadville community.
Community engagement is fundamental to Allegheny’s identity as an institution of access, and community-engaged learning is embedded within the curriculum and promoted as a High-Impact Practice accessible to all students. Examples of Allegheny’s community engagement encompass everything from the Center for Career and Professional Development, to year-round internships, coursework and service-learning, Allegheny’s Center for Political Participation (CPP) and the recently funded Community Impact Hub (the Hub)
These are just a few programs that are aligned with the mission of Project Pericles, that encourage students to become engaged citizens of their communities and the world.
For example, the Center for Political Participation (CPP) involves both civic education and civic engagement. Its programs for students and faculty include: The Law & Policy Program, which connects students with practical learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom.
Research on politics, focusing on public opinion research on the challenges facing American democracy. And acts as a primary resource for voter registration and electoral participation. In collaboration with the Andrew Goodman Foundation, the CPP helps students register to vote and get to the polls in every election cycle.
Allegheny College’s Community Impact Hub supports efforts to build a more just, resilient, and flourishing place. Through this collaborative network, students are mentored to apply and integrate their knowledge, develop leadership skills, discern career paths and develop a commitment to engaged citizenship.
Working together under a “Collective Impact” model, the Hub supports regional capacity-building and community improvement efforts initiated by community partners and integrated into the College’s curriculum and student engagement activities.
Of his Project Pericles appointment, President Cole said, “Such work is essential to prepare students as engaged citizens and leaders of their communities, nations, and world.”