Harford Community College Selected for College Service Grant to Empower Young Changemakers Funded by the Allstate Foundation

Bel Air, MD (December 2) — Harford Community College is excited to announce that it has received a $10,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation in collaboration with the Center for Expanding Leadership & Opportunity (CELO). The funding will be used to further youth-led, youth-driven service and is a part of The Allstate Foundation’s national strategy to transform how we engage, equip, and prepare young people to participate in community service. To date, the Foundation has granted over $1 million to youth-led service programs at campuses across the country.

"The Allstate Foundation believes that empowering youth to lead service is key to improving our communities and creating lasting change. These grants catalyze youth service opportunities by increasing access, deepening quality, and putting dollars behind young people's innovative and transformational ideas about how to strengthen their communities." said Greg Weatherford II, Director, The Allstate Foundation and Social Impact.

“We are deeply grateful to The Allstate Foundation for this generous grant, which will enable us to augment our programs and support our students in meaningful ways,” Harford Community College President Dr. Theresa B. Felder said. “This investment affirms our shared commitment to education and community development. With this support, we’re better equipped to enhance our students’ opportunities for success and create positive experiences that enrich the community.”

Funding for Harford is part of the “A Return to Service” initiative designed to catalyze change while positioning youth-led, youth-driven service as essential for improving communities. This grant will enable Harford to support the implementation of a new service-based leadership program, “The OWL Institute” (Owls Whooo Lead). The aim of the Institute is to co-facilitate engaging, meaningful, and enjoyable service projects tied both to leadership development and cultural engagement for students. At Harford, students are not only encouraged to develop as individual leaders, but also as leaders in the community.

Co-founder of the OWL Institute and current Harford student Natalie Jarrett-Brune says about the program, “I believe that leadership is best learned in a setting where the opportunity to lead is given. Leadership looks different for everyone, each individual having a different yet vital role in painting the bigger picture. As a leader, I am confident in the knowledge that I am bridging gaps, educating others, and making people feel seen, heard, and loved—because they are.”

The Allstate Foundation College Service Grant allows Harford to further champion youth-led, youth-driven service projects that address critical community challenges. By placing youth at the forefront of these initiatives, the institution aims to encourage them to harness their unique perspectives and talents to increase their impact. This strategy not only produces more effective and relatable solutions but also builds a generation of confident, capable leaders committed to lifelong service.

About Harford Community College 

Harford Community College offers more than 90 affordable degree programs and 65+ career and workforce programs of study as well as a wide variety of noncredit community education and workforce development courses. Located on 352 acres near Bel Air, Harford Community College has been helping Harford Countians achieve their goals since 1957. For more information, visit https://www.harford.edu/.

About The Allstate Foundation

The Allstate Foundation empowers people and communities so they can thrive. Established in 1952, The Foundation takes bold actions and inspires people to act by empowering youth to serve and improve communities, working to close the racial wage gap, and disrupting the cycle of relationship abuse. The Foundation also supports nonprofit leaders through the Nonprofit Leadership Center.

About the Center for Expanding Leadership & Opportunity (CELO)

CELO is a nonprofit committed to a world where high-quality youth development opportunities are distributed as equally as the abundance of talent in our communities. Emerging from nearly two decades of groundbreaking research and incubated at The Aspen Institute, CELO bridges the gap between academia and practice to accelerate youth development and deliver on the promise of greater impact.