The Ohio State University’s Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture, and Society has received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education, affirming both our mission and Ohio’s leadership in addressing one of the nation’s most pressing challenges: the renewal of civic life.
The funding will expand the Chase Center’s curriculum development, faculty research, and student programming, which focuses on America’s founding principles, civic institutions, and cultural traditions. It also will strengthen the Chase Center’s outreach to K–12 schools and community partners, ensuring Ohio’s next generation is prepared for careers and citizenship.
“This award is a recognition that Ohio is leading the way,” said Lee J. Strang, Executive Director of the Chase Center. “Through the statewide civics consortium, our universities are working together to confront civic decline and provide a model for the rest of the country. With the Department of Education’s support, Ohio State and the Chase Center can accelerate programs that equip K-12 students, teachers, and communities to sustain the American experiment.”
The Chase Center was established by the Ohio Legislature in 2023 as part of a first-of-its-kind civics consortium linking five universities across the state. Together, the consortium is advancing intellectual diversity, rigorous civic education, and cultural understanding, making Ohio a proving ground for national renewal of civics education. The Center began offering its first university courses with this fall’s semester.
“This grant demonstrates the Department of Education’s confidence in Ohio State’s mission to equip leaders and engaged citizens,” said Ravi Bellamkonda, executive vice president and provost at Ohio State. “With this support, the Chase Center will be able to better serve our students and communities across the state in line with our land-grant mission.”
With the grant, the Chase Center will launch new statewide outreach and K-12 initiatives supporting students, their families, and teachers.