Lilly Endowment Inc., a private philanthropic foundation established by three members of the Lilly family, has donated a $9,912,800 grant to the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) to support the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) at independent colleges and universities.
“NetVUE member colleges and universities are responding to a hunger among college students to explore deep questions of meaning and purpose and to discover how they can draw on their faith as they seek to use their knowledge and talents to contribute to the well-being of the world,” said Dr. Christopher Coble, vice president for religion at Lilly Endowment. “Lilly Endowment is pleased to support CIC and this exceptional network of schools.”
Dr. Christopher CobleThe grant will be used to fund several current and new NetVUE programs through 2023. Three currently active grant programs will utilize the grant funding to provide professional development vocational exploration and cultivation initiatives at NetVUE campuses, according to CIC officials.
The grant will also support two new programs – one that encourages NetVUE member schools to reassess their “institutional saga” after new challenges and opportunities arose, and one that advocates for guided internship opportunities through campus relationships with nonprofits, companies and community organizations.
Launched in 2009, NetVUE now has 232 college and universities and related organizations as members. Some of the member schools have historic or formal relations to Catholic, protestant and other religious affiliations and others have no affiliation.
