Since 2002, The William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust has made possible the Kenan Leadership Scholars program for Macaulay students. Every year, Honors Program Directors at each campus nominate a small number of freshmen who, from their observation, have committed themselves to public service in an outstanding way. Nominated students then submit an application to be part of the program. From these applications, four Macaulay freshman are chosen to be Kenan Leadership Scholars.

The Kenan program offers various skill workshops, leadership discussions, and entertainment events--all designed to enhance their sense of what it means to be a leader and offer them glimpses of various trajectories taken by current leaders in a wide variety of fields.

Under the aegis of the Kenan Leadership Scholars program, the Kenan Leadership-in-Action Grant was created to provide funding to enable Kenan Scholars to conceive and carry out projects of their own choosing demonstrating leadership and community service. The goal of the grant is to encourage new research, and civic and/or community service projects. Two Kenan Scholars, Jessica Lee and Leanne Tory-Murphy, have utilized the grant program to support civic programs of their own devising.

The Kenan Program has entered into a partnership with Dr. Marlene Springer, President Emerita of The College of Staten Island, who facilitates a seminar for our Scholars entitled "Nurturing the Moral Imagination: Exploring the Complexities of Ethical Choices." The course includes a web-based component as well as a series of in-person lectures and conversations.

The blog associated with the course is online at macaulay.cuny.edu/moral-imagination