Saint Martin’s University Receives $125,000 Grant to Establish AmeriCorps Program

LACEY, Wash. – Saint Martin’s University was selected as a campus partner for the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good Civic Leadership and Engagement Corps (CLEC) AmeriCorps program. Through the partnership, the University received an AmeriCorps grant, worth $125,610, to establish a CLEC program that will enhance civic leadership and career readiness for underrepresented students throughout the 2023-2024 academic year.

“Saint Martin’s is proud to partner with the Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good to establish this much needed program at the University,” said President Jennifer Bonds-Raacke, Ph.D. “Thanks to this AmeriCorps grant, we will provide more wrap-around services to holistically support our students and ensure they flourish here.” 

The CLEC program fosters community collaboration focusing on improving educational equity. The grant will fund an AmeriCorps Program Coordinator position and five Peer Advisor positions to shift our advising model to be a cohort-based group advising. This community-based approach allows students to learn as a group and from each other. Unlike the traditional drop-in as-needed advising model and intervening only when students require additional support, this model is proactive and responsive. As part of the program, Saint Martin’s will partner closely with community organizations to develop an integrated system of support. 

“We are excited about this partnership with CLEC AmeriCorps,” shared Gaby Hyre, Saint Martin’s executive director of the Center for Student Success. “These team members will be integral in developing and implementing structures to holistically address students’ academic and basic needs. This is a huge win for our students and our community!” 

The Washington Campus Coalition for the Public Good is a coalition of Washington state colleges and universities committed to advancing the public purpose of higher education institutions, educating students for the workforce and civic leadership, and working in partnership to cultivate vital and sustainable communities. To learn more about the CLEC AmeriCorps program, visit AmeriCorps — Washington Campus Compact (wacampuscoalition.org). 

Saint Martin’s University is an independent coeducational university, with undergraduate and graduate offerings, located on a wooded campus of more than 380 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 13 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University empowers students to pursue a lifetime of learning and accomplishment through its 31 majors, 11 master’s programs, one doctorate program and seven certificate programs spanning the arts and sciences, business, counseling, education, engineering, nursing, and leadership. Saint Martin’s welcomes more than 1,300 undergraduate students and 250 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and more students to its extended campus located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.