Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, has announced a $30.7 million grant from the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment in support of the school’s leadership and character development program and a national network to promote character education.

The grant will bolster the university’s Program for Leadership and Character—where, to date, 75 Wake Forest faculty have learned to integrate character education into their classrooms, reaching more than 2,700 students—and provide funding for staff to deliver programming and develop resources.

The grant also will support the creation of a national network of colleges and universities designed to place character at the center of leadership and position Wake Forest as a national resource for developing character education curricula. Funded initiatives include conferences, workshops, and summer seminars for faculty and staff interested in integrating character education into their teaching and campus activities and the development of handbooks, discussion guides, and course materials.

More than $23 million of the grant is to be used by Wake Forest to award grants and provide support to other institutions, ranging from planning grants of up to $50,000 to grants between $500,000 and $1 million to launch character education initiatives, support faculty research, and fund professional development opportunities.

“We are living in a moment of deep cultural and political polarization and increasing distrust of leaders and institutions,” said Lilly Endowment chair and CEO N. Clay Robbins. “We…are pleased to support [Wake Forest’s] efforts to help foster a national network of colleges and universities with the aim of educating a new generation of morally and ethically grounded leaders to rebuild trust and enhance civic engagements.”

“Universities are called to be catalysts for good in our society,” said Wake Forest president Susan R. Wente. “Cultivating leadership and character is a reflection of Wake Forest’s deepest values and aspirations and exemplifies our commitment to our motto, Pro Humanitate.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Anchiy)