SNF renews support to expand SNF Ithaca Initiative at University of Delaware

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Ithaca Initiative at the University of Delaware’s Biden School, which works to help civil discourse flourish and students become engaged citizen-leaders, is expanding through a new $3 million grant from SNF.

“Supporting young people in cultivating the values and habits of active, informed citizenship is essential, but it’s just the beginning,” said SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos. “Our democracies need generations of citizens who, in addition to practicing these values in their own lives, can instill them in their communities too, fostering civil discourse and catalyzing civic engagement.

“Education is the foundation of democracy, advancing ideas and fueling progress through constructive dialogue and debate,” said University of Delaware President Dennis Assanis. “Thanks to the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, the University of Delaware is able to more effectively carry out its mission.”

Fostering civic engagement and civil discourse, especially among young people, is a key priority for SNF. Launched in 2021, the SNF Ithaca Initiative includes a range of offerings, from a student leadership program, to visiting SNF Ithaca Fellows, to a National Student Dialogue convening young people from across the country.

The new grant encompasses the creation of an SNF Ithaca Professor of Public Policy position at the Biden School, a cohort of SNF Ithaca Affiliated Faculty from across disciplines, an SNF Ithaca Certificate in Democratic Citizenship, and a new pillar of focus on the role of media in democracy.