Wooster receives a Council of Independent Colleges grant to support faith-driven leadership building

The College of Wooster has received a grant from the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) for Fostering Leadership for Communities of Faith. The grant funds a two-year award of $60,000 to develop new or strengthen existing programs that support students as they consider vocations of leadership in established faith communities.

Wooster plans to use the grant to build a Faith-Driven Leadership & Vocational Discernment Program that formalizes partnerships with local faith leaders to co-create authentic internship experiences where students can practice leadership and receive mentoring in community contexts. The initiative is designed to strengthen Wooster’s existing pre-ministry program, led by Chan Sok Park, chair and associate professor of religious studies.

Pre-ministry already supports a broad variety of vocational paths including chaplaincy, social work, non-profit services, and congregational and liturgical leadership. Until now, it focused on fostering vocational discernment and education by cultivating networks with religious practitioners and engaged alumni. It’s steadily grown in recent years with an increasing number of students showing interest in gaining hands-on experience through internships.

“Partnering with community faith leaders through this grant not only allows us to co-create internships and foster mentoring relationships, it also provides real-world context for students to develop empathy, integrity, collaboration, and communication, which are all competencies central to leadership in any profession,” said Park. He will serve as primary investigator for the grant alongside Rev. Travis Webster, incoming campus chaplain, who starts at Wooster this fall.

Park and Webster will engage a strategic partnership working group of community leaders and interested faculty to design internships that will prepare students for ministry and other service-oriented vocations, while strengthening connections to the religious community of Wooster. Grant funding will cover student stipends for nine internships spread out across summer 2027, fall 2027, and spring 2028. It will also offer leadership training opportunities such as the Interfaith Academy that link foundational leadership skills with each student’s individualized experience.

“Not all students are able to commit to an unpaid internship due to financial responsibilities or summer work obligations,” said Park. “Being able to offer financial support expands these opportunities to a broader audience.” The internships aren’t limited to pre-ministry or religious studies students, either. All majors, especially students in other pre-professional programs, can explore how faith-informed leadership and service can intersect with diverse professional trajectories. For example, pre-law students could engage in immigration advocacy and justice-focused service through partnerships with religious organizations committed to immigration justice initiatives. The strategic working group is designed to identify, expand, and co-create opportunities like this.

The Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) is an association of more than 700 nonprofit independent colleges and universities, state-based councils of independent colleges, and other higher education affiliates, that works to support college and university leadership, advance institutional excellence, and enhance public understanding of independent higher education’s contributions to society. CIC offers conferences, seminars, publications, and other programs and services that help independent institutions improve educational quality, administrative and financial performance, student outcomes, and institutional visibility.

Featured image: Chan Sok Park, chair and associate professor of religious studies, will serve as primary investigator for the grant to support students as they consider vocations of leadership in established faith communities.

Posted in News on June 8, 2026.