W.K. Kellogg Foundation Supports G. Bernard Gill Legacy Project
NYLC recently received funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to honor the legacy and continue the work of the late G. Bernard Gill, a former NYLC staff member. Gill, a program manager, was particularly passionate about social justice, diversity, promoting cross-cultural understanding, reducing the achievement gap, and engaging African-American males in service-learning by reconnecting them to their cultural heritage and service traditions.
Funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation complements an existing State Farm Companies Foundation investment by:
- providing support for the Sixth Annual National Urban Service-Learning Institute;
- launching an NYLC internship and mentorship program focused on reducing the achievement gap in the Twin Cities;
- helping secure additional matching dollars to continue Bernard’s work.
Wokie Weah, Vice President of Programs at NYLC, said “I know I speak for the entire NYLC staff when I say that we are grateful for the opportunity to honor Bernard’s work.”
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation has been a longtime supporter of NYLC and service-learning. Most recently the foundation has provided funding for the Service-Learning Emerging Leaders Initiative, an effort to expand the current leadership of the service-learning field to include a new generation of culturally diverse leaders.
Through a generous donation from State Farm, the G. Bernard Gill Urban Leadership Award also has been established. It was awarded for the first time at this year’s National Service-Learning Conference in Nashville, Tenn., and went to Robert Gordon, Senior Vice President for Civic Leadership at City Year.
