Kansas Wesleyan announced Friday that it has received a notable two-year grant from the Council of Independent Colleges Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE). The grant will be used to grow KWU's Campus Ministry internship program beginning this fall.

"An important part of everything we do at Kansas Wesleyan is service," said Campus Minister Scott Jagodzinske, who will lead the program. "How do we show the importance of serving others, and how do we use the skills we've been given to lift others up, to better one another and to better our communities? Finding the answers to those questions is why we created this program, and we're truly excited to see it expand during these next two years."

The Campus Ministry internship program places students in a variety of disciplines - from media production to graphic design to leading Bible studies, and more - across the five Methodist churches in the Salina area: United Methodist Church of the Cross, Trinity United Methodist, University United Methodist, First United Methodist and Grand Avenue United Methodist. Students receive a scholarship for their efforts and are trained in congregational leadership, community engagement and other important skills.

"Campus Ministry is such an important part of what we do at Kansas Wesleyan," said Bridget Weiser, vice president for student and community engagement. "It brings together service learning, spiritual development and community relationships in a way that few other things can, and it does so through inclusion and a true commitment to KWU's United Methodist heritage. The growth of this program creates a great opportunity for students to experience a new side of KWU, and we hope many of them take advantage of it."

The grant will enable the program to grow to as many as 17 students during the next two years. Other students may be connected to the churches involved through opportunities outside of the internship program.

An application is available at https://www.kwu.edu/student-life/campus-ministry/.