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Connecting People, Resources,
and Opportunities for Positive Social Change


Welcome to the Walden University Center for Social Change website! Here, you can Set a Course for Change™:

  • Be inspired by Walden University changemakers.
  • Access a variety of Walden University social change research projects.
  • Learn about the Walden University Research and Applications for Social Change Grant (RASCG).
  • Tell us your social change story.

Inspiring Highlights

 

Tapestry 2024: Walden University Research Festival

Here at Walden University, we continue to celebrate seasons of social change. As we celebrate the Fall season, we harvest and highlight the many and varied patterns of social change research and related manifestations and revelations by Walden scholars and emerging scholars.

Tapestry 2024: Walden University Research Festival, a university-wide event, does just that. Offering self-guided virtual exhibits; and virtual gatherings— a feature film; student presentations; faculty- and staff-led discussion groups; a Real-World Solutions to Real-World Problems™ (RWS2RWP™) Conference on Healthcare Equity; and more, Tapestry 2024 systematically seeks out, provides, and fosters social change research and information literacy, while heralding the process of discovery.

EXPERIENCE THE VIRTUAL WALDEN UNIVERSITY SOCIAL CHANGE FELLOWS SYMPOSIUM

On demand encore presentation, originally streamed live March 13-14, 2024.

Social Change Fellows Symposium

TELL US YOUR SOCIAL CHANGE STORY

Aspire Blogzine is just one of the ways in which we are bringing meaningful stories of social change to life around Walden University. We could not do this without you.

Aspire Guest Blogger Story Submission

MEET THE 2024 WALDEN UNIVERSITY SOCIAL CHANGE FELLOWS

2024 Social Change Fellows

EXPLORE THE WALDEN UNIVERSITY MINNESOTA COLLECTION

The Walden University Minnesota Collection recognizes Walden University’s cultural moorings in the State of Minnesota.

Minnesota Collection

“Aspire toward the highest.”
-Rita Turner, Co-Founder, Walden University

Walden University Social Change Directory

About Us

The Center for Social Change is Walden University’s changemaker resource hub. We empower changemakers, build community, and elevate social change outcomes across the university. In addition to fostering professional networking opportunities among Walden Social Change Fellows and the larger Walden University community, the Center serves as a home base for two annual, university-wide events: The Social Change Fellows Symposium, and The Social Change Conference. We also host the Aspire social change blogzine, administer the Walden University Social Change Toolkit, and participate in the Walden Community Mini-Libraries book drive. As sponsors of the annual Walden University Research & Applications for Social Change Grants (RASCG), we support projects that reflect the university’s mission to foster social change and the education of emerging scholars and scholar-practitioners.

Our Guiding
Values

The Center for Social Change is Walden University’s changemaker resource hub. We empower changemakers, build community, and elevate social change outcomes across the university. Positive social change has been a major part of Walden University’s institutional identity since the university’s founding in 1970. A co-curricular network, the Walden University Center for Social Change amplifies and extends the university’s unwavering commitment to positive social change. These values inform and guide the Center’s work.

RESEARCH

Systematically seek out social change information, while celebrating the process of discovery.

UNDERSTAND

Apply social change information for the greater good.

INCLUDE

Foster a sense of belonging through a variety of collaborative, research-based social change projects.

TEACH

Empower changemakers. Share knowledge for the greater good. Foster social change Information Literacy, a Walden University Institutional Learning Outcome (ILO).

INSPIRE

Lead by encouragement and example.

ENGAGE

Incorporate meaningful participation opportunities to involve emerging scholars and scholar-practitioners in positive social change research projects.

LISTEN

Attentively consider multiple perspectives.

CONNECT

Bridge the digital divide. Build community. Elevate positive social change projects and changemakers throughout the Walden University community.

ADVOCATE

Champion positive social change research projects.

CREATE

Leverage social change research, to develop new opportunities to advance positive social change.

Social Change Grants

Research and Applications for Social Change Grants are awarded annually to Walden doctoral students, alumni, faculty, and staff, as well as external researchers, whose proposals reflect the university’s mission to foster social change through research and the education of scholar-practitioners.

Faculty and Staff Application

The 2023-2024 Research and Applications for Social Change Grants (RASCG) application grant cycle is currently closed.

Please note the following dates, for the 2024-2025 RASCG application grant cycle:

  • Call for Proposals: December 2, 2024
  • Application Deadline: February 3, 2025
Student Application

The 2023-2024 Research and Applications for Social Change Grants (RASCG) application grant cycle is currently closed.

Please note the following dates, for the 2024-2025 RASCG application grant cycle:

  • Call for Proposals: December 2, 2024
  • Application Deadline: February 3, 2025

Center for Social Change FAQs

When was the Walden University Center for Social Change established?

In 2017, Walden University established its Center for Social Change, a networking hub with three major commitments: Empowering Changemakers, Building Community, and Elevating Social Change Outcomes. Positive social change has been a major part of Walden University’s institutional identity since the university’s founding in 1970. A co-curricular network, the Walden University Center for Social Change amplifies and extends the university’s unwavering commitment to positive social change.

How do the Walden University Center for Social Change Mission and Vision connect with those of Walden University?

The Walden University Center for Social Change Mission is that of fostering social change Information Literacy, and its Vision is to endeavor to become the premiere hub for such. Through academic research projects and related collaborative co-curricular outreach programs, the Walden University Center for Social Change (CSC) fosters, manifests, highlights, and promotes Information Literacy, one of the university’s Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs).

What is the Center’s operational structure?

The Walden University Center for Social Change (CSC) is a vertically- and horizontally-integrated network of people that calls upon the individual and collective strengths of Walden University’s immediate and extended community members to advance its mission. The CSC, which has its own Lead Fellow and Director, reports to the office of the Vice Provost, Office of Institutional Effectiveness, Engagement, and Academic Performance—which, in turn, reports to the Associate President and Provost of Walden University.

How do the Research and Applications for Social Change Grants work?

This grant opportunity aims to enable members of the Walden community to make a significant and meaningful change in academic and social communities, both locally and globally. The grant is awarded to applicants who submit outstanding proposals that reflect the university’s mission to foster social change through research and the education of scholar-practitioners as well as Walden’s determination to effect positive social change worldwide uniquely. Grant recipients automatically become Walden University Social Change Fellows.

Walden University Social Change Fellows are scholars, administrators, authors, artists, nurses, social workers, teachers, engineers, lawyers, historians, scientists, and community leaders, ready to share their knowledge and skills for the greater global good. They continue to learn and grow as they give.

What do Walden University Social Change Fellows do?

In addition to fulfilling their approved research or applied project, Social Change Fellows meet virtually on a quarterly basis, under the direction of the Lead Fellow and Director of the Walden University Center for Social Change, to network professionally and share information about their varied social change projects. In addition, Fellows also are expected to present the results of their respective grant-funded projects during the annual Walden University Virtual Social Change Fellows Symposium, held each March.

How often can one apply for a Grant?

One may apply for the grant once per grant cycle. The next grant cycle begins December 2, 2024, and ends February 3, 2025.

How can I get involved?

Tell Us Your Social Change Story. If we would like to feature your story on our blog, we will reach out via the contact information provided.