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The Stephen David Ross University and Community Projects Fund, administered through the Center for Civic Engagement at ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø, has awarded $31,300 in grants to support initiatives carried out through collaborations between local nonprofit organizations and University partners.

Ross, a distinguished research professor emeritus, established the fund to advance working partnerships between the University and the community.

Ross Fund grants are awarded based on the following priorities: promotion of collaboration and cooperation between University and community groups; innovative use of the talents and resources of project partners; demonstrated commitment to the use of existing funds or to obtaining matching funds; and significant, enduring and positive difference in the quality of life of the community.

Grants were awarded to seven projects:

• will receive $8,000 for a partnership with the Public Service Learning Community (PSLC) for the VINES Floral Ave Community Garden Project. This program will construct a new community garden in Johnson City to increase access to fresh food, improve public health and revitalize a vacant lot in a high-need area.
• . will receive $6,300 for a partnership with the College of Community and Public Affairs Department of Human Development for the Step-Up 2 Success program. This program will provide structured activities, mentorship and skill-building to address low student engagement, attendance and academic performance.
• will receive $5,800 for a partnership with the College of Community and Public Affairs Department of Social Work for the Expanding Mental Health First Aid: Advancing Community Support Across New York State project. This program will implement and evaluate Mental Health First Aid training across Broome County to support mental health in rural communities.
• will receive $4,000 for a partnership with Associate Professor Judith Quaranta and Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences for the Reducing Asthma Risk in the Head Start Population through Community-Campus Partnerships program. This program will improve asthma outcomes in Head Start children aged 3–5 by educating caregivers and staff and using tools to identify at-risk children.
• will receive $3,000 for a partnership with the Upstate New York Policing Research Consortium and the Human Rights Institute for the Restorative Histories: A Community-Led Archive of the Carceral State program. This program will expand a digital archive by preserving self-authored incarceration-related materials to center affected voices and promote restorative history.
• will receive $3,000 for a partnership with the Department of Public Administration and Policy for the Improving Nonprofit Performance Management Through Service-Learning program. This program will build performance management capacity in small nonprofits through data collection support and student-led performance analysis collaborations.
• will receive $1,200 for a partnership with the Department of Environmental Studies for the ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø Farmers Market Composting Program. This program will promote environmental sustainability and reduce food waste with an educational compost drop-off station at the ÄÛÌïÑо¿Ôº¹ÙÍø Farmers Market.

Further information can be found on the Center for Civic Engagement website. Details for the 2026 grant cycle will be announced in February 2026.

For more information, contact Sara Hall, senior assistant director, Center for Civic Engagement, at sarahall@binghamton.edu.