Location Grinnell, IA Reward(s) $100,000 | Presented by Grinnell College First awarded 2011 | |
Awarded for outstanding contributions in effecting positive social change Country United States of America | ||
The Grinnell College Innovator for Social Justice Prize, created by Grinnell College, is an annual program honoring individuals who have demonstrated leadership in their fields and "who show creativity, commitment and extraordinary accomplishment in effecting positive social change."
Contents
- History of Social Justice at Grinnell
- History of the Grinnell Prize
- Nomination criteria
- Selection committee
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- References
Each year a $100,000 award will be given, with half going to the individual and half to their organization.
In seeking nominations each fall, Grinnell encourages entries from across a wide range of fields, including science, medicine, the environment, humanities, business, economics, education, law, public policy, social services, religion and ethics, as well as projects that cross these boundaries. Nominations are also encouraged from areas that may not have been traditionally viewed as directly connected to social justice, such as the arts and business. Nominees may be U.S. citizens or nationals of other countries; no affiliation to Grinnell College is required.
History of Social Justice at Grinnell
Grinnell was founded in 1846 by a group of transplanted New Englanders with strong Congregational and social-reformer backgrounds. They organized as the Trustees of Iowa College — originally in Davenport, Iowa. In 1859 the trustees moved the College to newly settled Grinnell, Iowa, where their abolitionist sentiments were more welcome. At the time, Grinnell was an important stop on the Underground Railroad that secretly transported slaves to freedom.
Grinnell’s social consciousness blossomed during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidency, when graduates Harry Hopkins ’12, Chester Davis ’11, Paul H. Appleby ’13, Hallie Ferguson Flanagan ’11, and Florence Stewart Kerr ’12 became influential New Deal administrators.
Today, Grinnell’s commitment to social justice continues through a strong philosophy of self governance and personal responsibility, as well as programs and initiatives that encourage students to learn about the world beyond the campus and effect positive social change. More than 300 Grinnell alumni have served in the Peace Corps since it was founded in 1961. Together, these alumni have served in 89 countries from Afghanistan to Zambia.
For example, the Wall Alumni Prize provides financial support for Grinnell alumni to engage in service projects, programs, and organizations dedicated to improving the lives of others. Under Grinnell’s Expanding Knowledge Initiative, the College has introduced curricular innovations in the areas of environmental challenges, human rights, and human dignity. The Liberal Arts in Prison Program, a collaborative effort by Grinnell students, faculty, and staff, engages incarcerated adults in courses in the liberal arts.
The Grinnell College Innovator for Social Justice Prize directly reflects Grinnell’s historic mission to educate men and women “who are prepared in life and work to use their knowledge and their abilities to serve the common good.” With the creation of the Grinnell Prize, the College is extending its educational mission beyond the campus and alumni community to individuals anywhere who believe innovative social justice programs create a better world.
History of the Grinnell Prize
The Innovator for Social Justice Prize program was announced in November, 2010.
The idea for Innovator for Social Justice Prize originated with Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D., who began his tenure as Grinnell’s thirteenth president in August, 2010. In underscoring the college’s longstanding belief in social justice as a core tenet of its liberal arts academic mission, President Kington noted that the prize was created to “encourage and recognize young individuals who embody our core values and organizations that share our commitment to change the world.”
The program drew more than 1,000 nominations from 66 countries in its initial year.
Nomination criteria
Nominations are evaluated based on how candidates have embraced the values of a liberal arts education, including critical thinking, creative problem-solving, free inquiry and commitment to using and sharing knowledge to better humanity.
To be considered for the Prize, eligible nominees must:
Selection committee
Committee members are recognized individuals who work for social change in various capacities – largely Iowa-based – and represent the college’s faculty, student body, alumni, staff and trustees, plus prominent individuals not formally affiliated with Grinnell. Current / past committee members have included: