As Kenyon approaches the 200th anniversary of its founding, the College is organizing special grants for projects dedicated to campus beautification, performances and other ideas that recognize and celebrate Kenyon’s bicentennial. The Bicentennial Advisory Committee will decide the recipients of these grants. 

The Bicentennial Special Project Grants joins other commemorations surrounding the College’s bicentennial, which will be marked by a year-long celebration of Kenyon’s history from January to December 2024. These commemorations are funded by a budget allotted for the bicentennial that was approved by the Board of Trustees. 

For the Bicentennial Special Project Grants, the funding per project will range from several hundred to several thousand dollars, depending on the impact of the proposed project and its long-term effect on Kenyon’s campus. According to Director of Campus Events Howard Grier, proposals will be evaluated in three categories: physical markers, educational programs and social events.

Grier further emphasized the importance of projects that contribute to Kenyon’s Mission and Values Statement. “The committee wants to make the Bicentennial as meaningful as possible to as many people as possible,” Grier wrote in an email to the Collegian. “That can only happen if multiple groups offer diverse perspectives on what should be celebrated and how.” 

Grier is one of the tri-chairs of the Bicentennial Committee, along with Associate Vice President for Alumni and Parent Engagement and Annual Giving Shawn Dailey P’24 ’25 and Director of Advancement Communications and Strategy Molly Vogel ’00. This committee will also include representatives from junior and senior faculty as well as staff, student and alumni communities to evaluate project proposals.

Departments, offices, organizations, teams, alumni groups and others can currently submit proposals for Bicentennial Special Project Grants. The first awards will be given out in fall of 2023 to selected recipients, and all grantees must conclude their projects by December 2024. 

Grier highlighted the importance of the bicentennial to the College and how commemorations will shape Kenyon’s third century. “We want to look both backward and forward, using the celebration of this milestone to help chart the course for Kenyon’s future,” he said.