Small Grants Spark Big Ideas in Diversity

A wealth of creative ideas landed in Duncan Spelman’s e-mail inbox last year when the Bentley Diversity Council launched a program of “mini-grants.” From games to tours, discussions to dance, the proposals aimed to cultivate awareness and respect among all members of the campus community.

“We were pleasantly surprised by the number and quality of applications,” says Spelman, the university’s director of diversity. The 17 proposals came from students, faculty and staff. “The response speaks to people’s readiness to address diversity issues through a wide variety of approaches.”

The grants support initiatives that are not funded through other budgets, but which advance understanding of differences in ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, physical ability levels, and other areas. The office of Earl Avery, chief diversity officer and special assistant to the president for diversity, provides the funds.

Spelman and other Diversity Council members did not plan to parse awards among different sectors of the Bentley community. But the four mini-grant winners do indeed represent faculty, staff and students.

Senior Lecturer in Management Marie Rock gained funding for “Cultural Exploration for Conversation Partners.” This program, begun in fall 2007, pairs graduate students from outside the U.S. with faculty and staff for activities such as discussing cultural issues and visiting historical sites.

Grants also went to two undergraduate projects. A student organization called the Portuguese Press Conference is planning a “25th of April” celebration to promote Portuguese culture and history. The program will feature Portuguese dance performances and food, and speakers will share stories of the Carnation Revolution – the nonviolent coup that, in 1974, transformed the country from dictatorship to democracy.

“This grant helped us add guest speakers and spread the word that our group is here on campus,” says Andrew Carreiro ’09, who helped organize the first 25th of April celebration in 2008. He points out that the Portuguese Press Conference is open to students from all Portuguese-speaking nations, which include Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, and the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Diana Leger ’09 is using a mini-grant to offer a diversity-centered trivia night for first-year students. “This is a way of learning without lectures – about other races, cultures, and ways of life,” she says of the event, which is planned for March. “It’s a friendly way to increase acceptance and tolerance.”

The Bentley Residential Center staff secured funding for a tour of Boston-based cultural and historical landmarks during African-American History Month. In February, about 17 students and staff visited the city’s Museum of African American History, including the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School. Participants also toured the National Center of Afro-American Artists.

“We kept the group small to allow for intimate discussions,” explains Assistant Director of Residence Life Kate Tippo, who led the outing with residence directors Tony Martin and Erin Kelley.

Adds Kelley: “We hope students will bring their experience back to their friends, to keep the conversations going.”

Spelman is pleased to see the mini-grants initiative off to a great start. “The idea was to stimulate creativity,” he says. “Anyone and everyone can participate in helping to make the university community a better place in terms of diversity.”