Dear Harvard College Students,

I write to share exciting news. In my time as Dean of Harvard College, many of you have heard me speak of the importance of Harvard College’s role in helping to develop – through both education and support - the next generation of public service leaders.

Today, I have the pleasure of announcing that the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) has awarded a $12.1 million grant to Harvard College to add critical support to the College’s ongoing efforts to increase diversity among the next generation of public service leaders by addressing financial barriers that often prevent students from low-income backgrounds from participating in community service during college.

The CZI grant will provide three uniquely transformative opportunities for our community.

First, the grant will support the Priscilla Chan Summer Service Award in the Phillips Brooks House Center for Public Service and Engaged Scholarship. This award will cover the summer earnings contribution for students on financial aid who participate in immersive summer service experiences sponsored by the Center for Public Interest Careers (CPIC), the Institute of Politics (IOP), and the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA). Students who wish to devote their summers to service will no longer be prevented from doing so due to their summer earnings contribution.

Second, the grant will name the Priscilla Chan Stride Service Program. This grant will sustain and grow the Stride program of the PBHA. PBHA is a student-run organization that draws upon the creative initiative of undergraduate students and community members to foster collaboration that empowers individuals and communities. The Priscilla Chan Stride Service Program will provide year-round service scholarships, mentorship, and leadership development for low-income students. In addition, the program will continue three Post Graduate Fellowships awarded by PBHA for students committed to a lifetime of service.

Finally, CZI is generously providing bridge funding for several of our recent efforts to collaboratively expand public service at Harvard College.

For Priscilla Chan ’07, co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, expanding access to service opportunities is deeply personal. As an undergraduate at the College on financial aid, it was PBHA’s Stride program that made it financially feasible for Priscilla to pursue her passion for service. I am deeply grateful to Priscilla and CZI for this grant, which will extend similar opportunities Priscilla had to current and future Harvard College students.

This wonderful grant marks another of many collaborative efforts at Harvard College to create pathways for all of you to realize your potential as citizens and citizen leaders who serve society – a recent example of which was seen through a gift from Eric Mindich AB ’88 and his wife Stacey to establish 75 Mindich Service Fellowships and the Mindich Program in Engaged Scholarship.

I encourage you to learn more about the Priscilla Chan Summer Service Award and the Priscilla Chan Stride Service Program.

Warmly,
Dean Khurana
Danoff Dean of Harvard College