Under Belonging at Yale, the Office of the Secretary and Vice President for University Life invites applications for Belonging at Yale Grants. All Yale students and registered student organizations may apply for funding for a program, event, or speaker that promotes a sense of belonging and community at Yale:
• increasing the diversity of the Yale community;
• educating the community about challenges to inclusion on campus and in society;
• contributing to anti-racism efforts;
• facilitating conversations around diversity, equity and access or between differing perspectives and opinions;
• deepening a culture of respect and connection;
• encouraging and enhancing cultural competence;
• developing accessibility measures on campus;
And/or
• creating and fostering a welcoming campus climate
Preference will be given to proposals that present multiple points of view, and to collaborations among two or more student organizations.
Grants will generally be no greater than $2000. Applications will be reviewed after: October 6, 2023, December 10, 2023, and February 23, 2024.
The Belonging at Yale Grants are an initiative of Belonging at Yale in partnership with the Yale Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration and the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, which offer similar grants for academic initiatives.
Examples of funded projects
- The Hawaiʻi Sign Language Panel, hosted by the Students of the Indigenous Peoples of Oceania at Yale, features two eminent researchers in the preservation of Hawaiʻi Sign Language (HSL). The panel delves into the history of HSL and ongoing preservation efforts, complemented by a professional ASL interpreter fluent in Hawaiian-style Pidgin (Creole) ASL. The event took place during the week of Lā Kūʻokoʻa, as part of a series commemorating Hawaiian independence and celebrating the growing community of Native Hawaiians at Yale.
- The Yale Africa Innovation Symposium (YAIS) brings together students from the African diaspora and beyond to discuss current African issues, envision innovative solutions, and celebrate community strength. The YAIS Gala, which closes the symposium, showcases various cultural traditions and themes with representation across the continent in reverence of the diversity of Africa’s history and its people.
- The MENA Cultural Festival provides a space for students to showcase their country, region, or ethnicity through their preferred medium, fostering engagement and interaction. This event enables students to rejoice in the rich diversity of Middle Eastern and North African identities and cultures. The festival is an integral part of the two-week celebration known as the Middle Eastern and North African Roots and Heritage (MENARAH).
- New Haven Through the Lens aims to connect the Yale student body and New Haven citizens, with a spotlight on small and minority-owned businesses through photographic storytelling. The project unfolds through an exhibition, “The Souls Of New Haven”, and a perpetual Instagram page, fostering a sustainable platform that bridges and enriches both communities. Collaborating with Dwight Hall and FOCUS, this endeavor is sculpted to be a narrative and visual journey through diverse industries and stories within New Haven.
- The BIPOC Disability Poetry Slam is part of the 3rd Annual Symposium for Disability and Accessibility at Yale which will examine the nexus of Blackness, disability, and education. The symposium will bring together undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, staff, New Haven teachers, and representatives from local organizations. These conversations aid in deconstructing hierarchies of power and assist the Yale community in identifying and interrupting able-ist norms.
For additional information, contact Yasmeen Abed, Woodbridge Fellow.