Circle of people outdoors. Some sit on a low concrete wall while othres sit on the patio

Civic Engagement

Grinnell College should be and can be a model of civic trust to show how a global college in a rural setting can have a national voice, can demonstrate knowledge moving into action through research, civic engagement, and community collaboration. Grinnell College will be a place where research, deliberation, and collaboration are not just academic, but also civic modes.

President Anne F. Harris

As a place where students both live and learn and where the College welcomes the broader Grinnell community, as well as communities of interest formed around pressing societal issues, Renfrow Hall and the Katherine “Kathie” Howell Weingart ’61 Civic Innovation Pavilion will become a destination for experienced and aspiring coalition-builders.

From the intersection of the College’s campus and the city of Grinnell’s downtown, Grinnellians will have a platform from which to drive greater recognition of programs, policies, and practices that incorporate diverse voices and viewpoints to further the common good. The facility will also provide common ground for Grinnell College’s Social Innovator in Residence program. Here, students will have the chance to engage with inspiring leaders who are making an enduring difference in the world, fostering interdisciplinary creativity, and promoting civic engagement and social change.

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