Grant Backs Clarke’s New Black Male Leadership Society
Clarke University has received a grant from Alliant Energy to fund its new Black Male Leadership Society. The $1,500 award will cover supplies and programming costs for this new recruitment and retention initiative.
Led by Will Hudson, Director of Intercultural Programs & Engagement, the Black Male Leadership Society will provide support, mentorship, and leadership opportunities to Black men at the university. The new program works in partnership with Clarke’s existing Peer Mentor Program while providing additional resources for Black men early in their college career.
“The Black Male Leadership Society seeks to improve the retention, graduation, engagement, and overall success of this population who has been historically underrepresented in higher education. Thanks to the support of Alliant Energy, we will be able to develop programming and resources that address the various scholastic and social challenges these young men face.”
Members of the Black Male Leadership Society will meet with their mentor weekly and as a group biweekly. Participants will also complete the “Leadership Challenge,” which is a research-based leadership development tool designed to enhance their current leadership skills. By the end of their first year, participants will be trained and ready to become mentors to other Black men entering their first year at Clarke. The Black Male Leadership Society plans to host the first Black Youth Summit on the Clarke University campus for youth in Dubuque and the surrounding areas in the near future.
Alliant Energy has supported similar efforts at Clarke in the past, including a $3,000 gift to start the Peer Mentoring Program in 2021. The university thanks Alliant Energy and all our partners for their support. If you’d like to join them in funding the Clarke University mission, please visit clarke.edu/giving.