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Grants & Leadership Awards

Higher Education

Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum Grants

Interfaith America is offering $10,000 to select institutions to design or revise curricula that integrate civic pluralism into foundational required courses, such as general education or core courses and first-year seminars.

Applications Closed

 
2025-26 Grantees
 

Grant Overview

This grant builds on Interfaith America’s recognition of educators’ and administrators’ growing interest in advancing civic pluralism on their campuses. In response, this grant provides an opportunity for institutions to make significant curricular changes that prioritize civic pluralism as a cornerstone of education. By focusing on the core curriculum, these grants enable teams to engage students early in their academic journeys, creating a ripple effect that shapes campus culture and prepares students to navigate and lead in a diverse, polarized world.

Interfaith America is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025-2026 Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum grants, which honor campuses reimagining higher education by fostering pluralism in their foundational required courses, such as general education or core courses and first-year seminars.

The Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum (CPCC) Grants provides $10,000 to select institutions to design or revise curricula that integrate civic pluralism into foundational required courses, such as general education (GenEd) or core courses and first-year seminars. Projects may include:

  • Developing entirely new courses on civic pluralism, with plans to integrate into the institution’s core curriculum or GenEd requirements
  • Adding substantial new modules across existing courses in the institution’s current GenEd requirements (e.g., political science, communication studies, religious studies).
  • Designing first-year seminars or other required courses for broad campus impact.

Participants will join a cohort that supports their curricular innovations through resource sharing, project discussions, and cross-campus idea exchange, with a focus on further cultivating pluralism in the classroom.

Grant Details

Eligibility

This funding is reserved for teams of at least three educators at 2- and 4-year colleges and universities in the United States. Educators include full-time faculty and staff or administrators who teach courses for academic credit.

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Proposals must focus on developing or revising one or more courses that officially integrate civic pluralism into GenEd or core curricula.
  • Curricular plans, including all institutional requirements, must be completed by May 15, 2025. The curricular changes must be fully developed, approved by the institution, and ready for implementation no later than May 15, 2026, with courses scheduled to begin by Fall 2026.
  • Applicants must establish a team of three or more individuals to oversee and implement the grant on campus.

Preference will be given to proposals that:

  • Prioritize broad campus impact, such as first-year seminars or required courses that reach large student populations.
  • Engagement with the American intellectual tradition of pluralism (see suggested readings), its theory, and its application.
  • Clearly demonstrate measurable learning outcomes, such as skills in dialogue, active listening, bridgebuilding, and collaboration across differences.
  • Show strong institutional support for long-term and official integration of the course into the core curriculum, including plans to secure necessary approvals from the curriculum committee or equivalent governing bodies.
  • Plan to teach skills for civic pluralism, as understood within the Respect, Relate Cooperate framework (such as active listening, storytelling and other bridgebuilding skills found in Skills for Bridging the Gap and the Bridgebuilder Basics curricula).
  • Prepare students to engage diversity in deep, nuanced, and generative ways.

The grant application requires applicants to submit the following:

  • A detailed description of the proposed course(s) or curricular revision(s). This should include the objectives, key activities, and how the course aligns with the principles of civic pluralism.
  • A draft timeline for developing and implementing the course(s), including key milestones.
  • A draft budget outlining how grant funds will support the project.
  • A letter of endorsement from a senior administrator (provost, president, or equivalent thereof) acknowledging institutional support for the project and its alignment with campus priorities. This letter should demonstrate the institution’s commitment to advancing civic pluralism, as well as supporting the development and implementation of the course(s) or module(s), including ensuring resources and institutional buy-in for success.

Each grant team will receive $10,000 to support the development, planning, and implementation of courses or modules integrating civic pluralism into the institution’s core or GenEd curriculum. Funds will be dispersed in a single payment in late May/early June 2025.

  • Grantees are required to complete the following deliverables to ensure the successful planning, development, and implementation of their projects:

    1. Reports and Documentation:
      • Submit an overview of planned curricular materials by May 15, 2025, including:
        • An official description for each course
        • At least three resources from Interfaith America’s Learning and Action Bridge (LAB) that will be integrated in the project (see below)
        • Anticipated learning outcomes
        • An initial development plan, including a detailed outline of the institutional procedures and steps required to secure official approval for your course(s).
      • Submit a progress report by November 1, 2025, including:
        • Draft syllabi or outlines of the planned course(s) or module(s).
        • Drafts of supporting materials such as learning activities, case studies, and/or lesson plans.
        • Updates on progress toward project objectives and adjustments made to the timeline.
      • Submit an additional progress report by May 30, 2026, including:
        • Fully developed course syllabi and supporting materials.
        • Reflections on the planning and implementation process, including challenges and lessons learned.
        • Anticipated long-term outcomes for course continuation or expansion.
      • Submit a final report by December 11, 2026, including:
        • Finalized syllabi and supporting materials
        • Reflections on challenges faced, successes achieved, and lessons learned during the teaching process.
    1. Resource Integration:
      • Use at least three resources from Interfaith America’s Learning and Action Bridge (LAB) in the planning and implementation process. For example, this might include the Bridgebuilder Basics Curriculum, the We Can Build Bridges online course, We Need to Build (excerpt), Skills for Bridging the Gap curriculum, Pluralism Texts Bibliography, Story Circles Activity, and/or our ” Case Studies for Exploring Interfaith Cooperation” (among others).
    2. Professional Engagement:
      • Participate in a two-hour virtual workshop in March 2025, introducing the grant cohort and highlighting resources for teaching pluralism.
      • Attend regular cohort meetings with other grantees, twice per semester over the course of the grant, to discuss progress, share insights, and address challenges.
    3. Communication and Collaboration:
      • Participate in two mid-grant calls with Interfaith America staff to discuss project progress, troubleshoot challenges, and refine strategies.
      • Collaborate with other grantees during cohort calls to foster collective learning and innovation.
    4. Implementation Deadline: Courses or modules must be implemented by Fall 2026.

Through its grant programs, Interfaith America is committed to supporting initiatives that meaningfully engage people with a range of religious, philosophical, and ideological perspectives as well as diverse racial and ethnic identities. This commitment ensures that the grants promote pluralism in ways that reflect the complexity and richness of our nation’s diversity. Final decisions will consider the strength of proposals, their potential for institutional impact, and overall program alignment.

  • January 24, 2025: The application period opens.
  • March 9, 2025: The application period closes.
  • March 17, 2025: All grantees notified of application status.
  • March 28, 2025: The grant implementation period begins with the team’s participation in a cohort launch meeting, followed by regular cohort meetings held twice per semester for the remainder of the grant period.
  • May 15, 2025: Preliminary drafts of curricular plans, including course descriptions and LAB resources to be integrated.
  • November 1, 2025: Grantees will provide a progress report on their projects, including revised curricular materials and updates.
  • May 15, 2026: All curricular changes must be approved by the institution by this time.
  • May 30, 2026: Grantees will provide a progress report on their projects, including curricular materials, proof of official course approval, and date of anticipated course implementation (Fall 2026 at the latest).
  • Fall 2026: Grantees begin teaching courses (if not already launched earlier). Cohort calls continue through Fall 2026 to provide support, troubleshoot challenges, and share outcomes from teaching the updated curriculum.
  • December 11, 2026: Grantees will provide a final report on their projects, including the final syllabus and other course materials, along with reflections on challenges faced, successes achieved, and lessons learned during the teaching process. Grant implementation period concludes.

Related Documents

Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum Grants

The Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum (CPCC) Grants provides $10,000 to select institutions to design or revise curricula that integrate civic pluralism into foundational required courses, such as general education (GenEd) or core courses and first-year seminars. 

 
Request for Proposals
Application Questions
Team Member Application
 

Related Resources​

Interfaith America’s Pluralism Framework

Interfaith America’s work to unlock the potential of American religious diversity has been grounded in a steady vision for pluralism.

Pluralism Texts Bibliography

This bibliography reflects a variety of perspectives that provide foundational theory, knowledge, and practical wisdom about civic pluralism.

The Learning & Action Bridge

Use Interfaith America's Learning & Action Bridge to discover your next steps. Find interfaith opportunities based on your role and goals.

Bridgebuilder Basics

Bridgebuilder Basics explores the vision, knowledge, and skills required to effectively cross lines of difference and take common action for the common good.

higher education

Meet the Grantees

Interfaith America is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025-2026 Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum grants.

Learn more

Contact Us

Please contact us with any questions about the Civic Pluralism in the Core Curriculum Grants.

Dr. Michael Whitenton

Director of Academic Initiatives

Interfaith America

[email protected]