Campus Update: Enrichment Grants

By Alex Howie
Miami University of Ohio

The 2010-11 school year marks an exciting change in KOACH’s approach to building Conservative Jewish communities on college campuses. In the past, KOACH has hired student interns who worked to grow and improve the Conservative communities on their respective campuses. This year, the KOACH Campus Enrichment Grant has replaced the intern program. Each campus receiving a grant will be able to advance Conservative Jewish life on campus while building a lasting relationship with KOACH and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.

The grant can be implemented in a variety of ways, depending upon the needs of each individual campus’ Jewish community. For example, one campus may be enabled to bring in a rabbinical student for a Shabbaton, while another campus may prefer to establish an ongoing meal-based learning program. By leaving the specific use of funds up to each campus, KOACH is ensuring that Conservative Jewish communities are being catered to on a more personalized level. Every campus will be able to create a vibrant program particularly suited to its own Conservative Jewish community, guaranteeing success. The programs will be headed by students, with the support of a Hillel rabbi or staff member.

Each month, we will be checking in with one or two of the campuses that have received a Campus Enrichment Grant. Campus updates will appear in this section of the KOACH e-zine, and may be useful for other students in their efforts to improve Conservative Jewish life on their own campuses. See you next month for our first update!

[Posted 8/9/10]