Campus Reading Program Engaged Learning Grants
Sponsored by the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement
The Campus Reading Program Engaged Learning Grant supports instructors who wish to use Vigil by George Saunders as a catalyst for deeper learning. In 2026-27, the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement will fund a limited number of grants of up to $500 for instructors of record who plan to include Vigil on a course syllabus or meaningfully incorporate it into a course activity.
The Litowitz Center's Campus Reading Program invites students into a shared intellectual experience that extends across courses, disciplines, and co-curricular settings. Through these grants, the Center seeks to support educational experiences that connect the campus reading to disciplinary inquiry, critical reflection, dialogue across differences, and meaningful engagement with ideas that extend beyond the classroom. Research on high-impact educational practices suggests that students learn most deeply when they engage with diverse perspectives, connect learning across contexts, and participate in meaningful interactions with peers, instructors, and communities. We welcome proposals from all disciplines and encourage flexible approaches that enrich student learning and foster thoughtful engagement with the Campus Reading Program.
Possibilities
This grant is intentionally flexible and may support a wide range of course-based activities, including, but not limited to:
- Guest speakers, artists, practitioners, or community partners
- Workshops, panels, or facilitated discussions
- Student participation in relevant events or experiences
- Course materials, supplies, or learning resources
- Access to performances, films, exhibitions, or archives
- Interdisciplinary or community-engaged learning activities
- Other activities that enhance student engagement with the program
Guidelines
- Applications must be submitted by an instructor of record for the course.
- Grant-funded activities must:
- benefit and be available to all students enrolled in the course.
- take place during the 2026–27 academic year.
- have a clear educational purpose that enhances student learning and engagement.
Application Process
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis for courses offered during the 2026-27 academic year. Because funding is limited, instructors are encouraged to apply as early as possible to maximize the likelihood of receiving support and to allow adequate time for review and award processing.
The Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching, in partnership with the Litowitz Center for Enlightened Disagreement, will review proposals and serve as a thought partner to instructors as they develop and implement engaged learning experiences connected to the Campus Reading Program.
Application Materials
Please submit applications to teach@northwestern.edu as a .docx or .pdf file. A complete application includes the following:
Information about the instructor(s) and course
- Name of instructor(s) of record (cc co-instructors on the application email)
- Department/Program/School
- Course Name and Number
- Quarter(s) the course will run
- Anticipated number of enrolled students
Activity Description and Budget
- Description of how Vigil will be incorporated into the course or course activity, noting anticipated student learning outcomes or impact.
- Total amount requested
- Breakdown of total budget
Grant Recipients
Recipients of the Campus Reading Program Engaged Learning Grant will be asked to submit a brief reflection describing how the funded activity contributed to student engagement and learning. Reflections will help document the impact of these experiences across Northwestern and will be shared through the Searle Center's Assessment Gallery as examples of engaged learning in practice.
Questions?
Please contact the Searle Center at teach@northwestern.edu, with the following subject line: Campus Reading Program Engaged Learning Grant