Published May 30, 2017
Students in this spring’s Political Science Senior Seminar course made an impact on
their community. Last week they presented two local nonprofit organizations with grants
for $2,500 each. Students chose The Wellspring and Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest
Louisiana as recipients of the grants to support their programs.
The University of Louisiana Monroe is one of only 43 universities across the country
to partner with the Learning by Giving Foundation to provide this experiential philanthropy
opportunity. In the course, students learned about how nonprofit organizations work.
Students then used this knowledge to collectively select which local organizations
should receive the grant, based on attributes like need, accountability, and effectiveness.
“The students did a magnificent job in identifying high performing nonprofit organizations
in our community. The organizations the students chose represent hard work by the
students to ensure the funds would have the most impact,” said Dr. Leigh Hersey, Assistant
Professor of Political Science and course instructor.
Students conducted site visits, interviewed leaders, and researched financial information
to determine the needs and strengths of the organizations they nominated. Students
presented the five finalists for consideration for the grants.
“It is good to be able to use my education immediately and have such a great impact
on our community” said Meghan Risinger, a student in the course.
