Allegheny College Receives Stackpole-Hall Foundation Grant to Launch Life Design Speaker and Community Dialogue Series

Allegheny College has received a $15,500 grant from the Stackpole-Hall Foundation to support the launch of a new initiative, the Life Design Speaker and Community Dialogue Series. This program will bring nationally recognized thought leaders to campus to engage students, faculty, staff, and the Meadville community in meaningful conversations.

Grounded in the principles of Life Design, an interdisciplinary framework that empowers individuals and communities to navigate challenges with purpose and imagination, the series reflects Allegheny's deep commitment to fostering dialogue, inclusivity, and mutual respect.

The initiative will feature two keynote lectures each academic year-one in the fall and one in the spring-delivered by prominent scholars and practitioners whose work focuses on collective wellbeing, personal agency, and community engagement. Each keynote will be paired with a shared book selection that provides context for the lecture and encourages campus-wide participation. By extending beyond a single event, the series creates structured opportunities for sustained engagement, reflection, and action.

This fall, Allegheny will welcome Dr. Joe-Joe McManus-executive coach and scholar of race and equity-as the first keynote lecturer. To deepen the conversation, some members of the College's campus community will read his book, A Brother's Insight.

The program is expected to engage approximately 200 participants. broader impact will extend across the entire campus through ongoing dialogue, mentoring, and integration of Life Design principles into curricular and co-curricular programming.

This series is an opportunity to come together as a community to reflect, learn, and grow," said Dom Turner, Senior Associate Dean, Office of Student and Community Development. "Through Life Design, we are equipping our students, faculty, and staff with the tools to embrace creativity, resilience, and intentional decision-making-skills that will serve them for a lifetime.

The launch of this program builds on Allegheny's renewed membership with the Sustained Dialogue Institute (SDI), re-initiated in the summer of 2024 as a presidential directive. SDI is a global organization dedicated to transforming communities through deep listening and relationship-building. By partnering with SDI and embedding Life Design into campus culture, Allegheny is strengthening its long-standing commitment to inclusivity, dialogue, and lifelong learning.

Over time, Allegheny will expand the reach of Life Design by developing professional development workshops, student programming, and facilitated discussion groups to ensure that the principles introduced in the lecture series become a recurring and transformative theme across campus.

This initiative aligns with Allegheny College's Statement of Community, which affirms the College's dedication to fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, dialogue is encouraged, and all members contribute to a culture of respect and belonging.