Lee University recently received a Capacity-Building Grant from the Educating Character Initiative (ECI) to fund “Character through Core Values,” a project from Lee’s Center for Responsible Citizenship (CRC) which was created to assist the faculty and staff of Lee in building student’s character through ethical action, redemptive service, and responsible citizenship.   

“This ECI Capacity-Building Grant affords us the opportunity to broaden the scope of participants and to focus our attention on Lee’s unique approach to the formation of Christian character,” said Dr. Thomas Pope, professor of Political Science and principal investigator for the grant. “We would like to invest in a new generation of faculty, staff, and students who may not have had the space to intentionally consider their part in the broader work of the university.”  

Lee staff on the committee for this grant include Drs. Debra Gladden, Pope, Holly Perleoni, and Jared Wielfaert. Each of these members will be leading a group comprising staff, faculty, and students in conversations about Lee’s core values during the school year.  

This year Lee won one of 41 Capacity-Building grants for 2024-2025 and is looking to apply for a larger grant from the ECI in 2025-2026.   

“I appreciate the momentum that this grant will give us as we look to have a greater impact in the lives of our students,” said Pope. “It’s helpful to intentionally reflect on what we are doing and why.”  

ECI, a part of the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, aims to transform the lives of students, foster an inclusive culture of leadership and character, and catalyze a broader public conversation that places character at the center of leadership. This organization aspires to nurture a creative, compassionate, and collaborative community of educators who can learn from each other as partners in character education.  

For more information about ECI or the Program for Leadership and Character visit leadershipandcharacter.wfu.edu/.