One Year After $15 Million Endowment, Allegheny College’s Community Impact Hub Demonstrates Powerful Results for Students and the Region

One year after receiving a transformational $15 million endowment, Allegheny College's Community Impact Hub (CIH or The Hub) is delivering strong, measurable impact, both for Crawford County communities and for Allegheny students gaining real-world experience through hands-on, community-engaged learning.

The Hub, launched in 2024, was designed to strengthen regional nonprofit and government agencies through research collaborations, workshops, subgrants, and student engagement. Early data from its first full year shows that the model and programming is working-and will continue to grow as it aspires to be part of the experience for every Allegheny undergraduate.

High-Impact Learning for Students

In its first year through its community-based research program, the Community Impact Hub connected 25 students with 20 community placements, supported by 16 faculty and staff mentors, giving students meaningful professional experience while advancing local priorities. Students served as interns, researchers, or program developers across issues such as health, education, the environment, arts, and economic development. At the annual August Poster Symposium, hundreds of attendees observed and celebrated the results of the student community-based research work as a part of the entire summer undergraduate research and creative activities experience.

"This is exactly the kind of preparation today's students need," said Allegheny College Provost Jennifer Dearden. "They're not just studying issues-they're solving them, right alongside community partners."

A Major Investment in Local Partnerships

The Hub provided 10 subgrants in 2025, totaling over $79,000, to support 11 nonprofits and government agencies across Crawford County. The current year of the CIH seeks to fund $100,000 in new proposed projects.

Examples of student-centered community projects include:

Meadville Area Free Clinic

The Hub-supported student interns upgraded database systems, expanded marketing, enhanced a new website, and improved services for the clinic's 500+ patients per year, especially those managing diabetes and blood pressure needs. Rion McCluskey '26, conducted a senior capstone project related to the "Pass It On" durable medical equipment initiative and had the opportunity to receive funding and present his work at the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics (NAFCC) 2025 Charitable Healthcare Symposium.

He said about the experience, "I was one of (if not) the only undergraduate presenters involved in the poster symposium held at the end of the conference. Having the opportunity not only to join the staff at the Symposium but to also share the culmination of three years of work was an amazing experience, and brought national attention to our Free Clinic. All of this would not have been possible without the Community Impact Hub's generous support of myself and the Clinic."

"Code with Chompers" in Local Elementary Schools

A CIH subgrant supported 10 computing outreach fellows to offer six weeks of computing lessons to approximately 100 elementary students among three Crawford Central School District elementary schools. The project led by Dr. Janyl Jumindinova strengthened region-wide STEM pipelines, continued to support curricular and student enrichment opportunities, and provided Allegheny students with hands-on teaching and leadership experience.

Strengthening Downtown and Regional Networks

The Hub expanded its downtown presence through a collaborative open office space at alumna-owned business, Hatch Hollow, hosted summer networking events that drew 100 community participants, and facilitated ongoing partner meetings linking students, faculty, and local leaders.

Its workshop series-offered free to nonprofits-attracted more than 180 attendees across sessions on grant writing, strategic planning, placemaking, and collective impact.

The Community Impact Hub's impact team model is driven by Steering Committees including 35 members from student, faculty, staff, and community partner roles all among its five impact teams-Education & Social Development; Arts & Culture; Community & Economic Development; Health & Wellbeing; and Environment & Sustainability.

Looking ahead, the Hub is planning a faculty development series in Spring 2026 to help instructors design and refine courses to include community engagement. Four students have been selected, trained, and are continuing to serve as Community-Based Learning Advocates to support this work across academic programs and impact teams.

"This is just the beginning for the CIH," said CIH Director Colin Hurley. "The endowment really allows us to build upon long-term relationships and create meaningful and engaging opportunities for students year after year. The Hub is a cornerstone of Allegheny's commitment to community-engaged learning and ultimately to the greater Meadville region."