"Philanthropy is not just about giving back. It teaches students to use critical thinking skills and inspires them to get involved in their community," - student participant.
NKU dove headfirst into student philanthropy in 1999 and has offered classes every year since. The program has become a model, replicated locally and around the nation.
On our own campus, we've opened the program to all colleges, all disciplines and the full range of NKU students, beginning with high school students taking courses for college credit and continuing through graduate school.
More information is available at Mayerson Student Philanthropy Project.
EDU 316: Education in a Multicultural Society - Taught by Kimberly Clayton-Code
JUS 301: Ethics in Criminal Justice - Taught by Danielle McDonald
GEO 415/PAD 515: Cartography - Taught by Hongmei Wang
KIN 498: Research, Trends, and Issues in Kinesiology - Taught by Jennifer Lape kaiser
MKT 370: Social and Digital Marketing - Taught by Anh Dang
CMST 340: Strategies of Persuasion - Taught by Jeff Fox
MKT 365: Professional Selling - Taught by Jose Saavedra Torres
PRE 376: Public Relations Writing - Taught by Zach Hart
PAD 622: Volunteer & Community Engagement - Taught by Julie Olberding
HNR 101: Leadership and Society - Taught by Megan Downing
UNV 101: Orientation to College and Beyond - Taught by Rusty Mardis
HCOM 301: Health Communication - Taught by Whittney Darnell
JPN 322: Japanese Drama - Taught by Junko Agnew
NEU 101: Neuroscience for Life: Sex to Society - Taught by Emily Allgire
UNV 101: Orientation to College and Beyond - Taught by Amanda Andrews
On January 24, 2024, the NKU Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement hosted a webinar to introduce experiential philanthropy as a way of teaching for other universities and to support those already teaching with this approach. Below are links to this webinar, broken up by topic and also the full webinar. Videos include an NKU Faculty Panel, a Research Panel, and a Student Panel.
If you have any questions about this webinar, contact us at mspp@nku.edu.
Faculty Panel: https://youtu.be/okHQYYU-kVY
Research Panel: https://youtu.be/C4GqNgCRMPo
Student Panel: https://youtu.be/QJj8OYyYudM
Full Webinar: https://youtu.be/b0pmYYFOgWw
Fall 2024
Spring 2025
"I learned that philanthropy is about giving back to the community. Anyone can be a part of this process. Our organization was created because one person had a desire to make a change, and in seeing her efforts, I learned that this can be any person who sees a need for change and does something to start it."
"It is important to give back in your community not just for those people but for yourself as well. You learn so much about yourself during the process."
"I learned about how leadership is applied in the world, and how I can even be a leader."
"As a result of this course I do plan to get more involved in my community. I am currently looking for volunteer opportunities near me, especially with the holidays approaching. This course has definitely made me value community involvement more."
"I learned how to be a good and confident leader in a group. I learned about how people bring about change and what can motivate them into fighting for change. And I learned why people come together to fight for a common cause."
"Philanthropy is an amazing thing, helping those near you makes such a difference in both yours and their lives. Incorporating it into class work and getting students familiar with the need of helping people really makes a difference in how they view helping around their communities."
"Philanthropy has made me more empathetic, especially being involved in philanthropy itself. It has taught me that optimism and kindness can be done on a mass scale, and if multiple people get involved, many large things can be accomplished."
"One key learning was the shift towards strategic philanthropy, emphasizing measurable outcomes and long-term impact. I gained insights into the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within philanthropic endeavors, recognizing the need for representative decision-making and equitable distribution of resources. Overall, I learned that effective philanthropy requires a holistic approach, integrating innovation, inclusivity, and accountability to drive meaningful change."
"My most valuable takeaway is that I can make a difference, and that we can make a bigger difference together."
Northern Kentucky University
Griffin Hall, Fifth Floor
Nunn Drive
Highland Heights, KY 41099
Phone: (859) 572-1448
E-mail: engage@nku.edu
