Civic Engagement Awards

Individuals and groups across the campus and community were honored with the 2026 Civic Engagement Awards on April 6 as part of Illinois State University’s annual Civic Engagement Celebration. The event was hosted by the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). We are thrilled to share the 2026 Civic Engagement Award recipients below!

The McLean County Museum of History received the Community Partner Award. This award recognizes a community organization that is significantly involved with Illinois State University. These organizations and the individuals who comprise them contribute to student learning and support student engagement with the community in a curricular or co-curricular setting.

The McLean County Museum of History earned this award because of its strong partnership with Illinois State University and its commitment to enriching community life. The museum provides hands‑on internships, offers vital resources for teacher training and education across multiple departments, and has co‑created civic programming, such as the Democracy Dialogues series.

Faculty describe it as essential to Illinois State’s mission, and students consistently gain transformative academic, professional, and civic experiences through engagement with its exhibits, archives, and staff. The Museum elevates Illinois State’s civic engagement value within the community.

The Cecilia J. Lauby Teacher Education Center and the Larry and Barbara Efaw Center for Educator Excellence received the Interdisciplinary Team Award. This award recognizes a group, team, or initiative that is a multidepartment effort of a civic engagement initiative or activity. This recognition acknowledges that civic engagement has no boundaries and that collaboration is often necessary for success.

The collaborative civic engagement initiatives between these two organizations have been notable and impressive, serving over 1,000 students in the past three years. Together, they have developed efforts that prepare future educators to engage civically through advocacy, philanthropy, and participatory democracy.

During the 2025–26 academic year, their work included the education advocacy day in Springfield, the “Educators Leaning In” workshop series, hosting clothing and food drives, storytelling initiatives that amplified student voices on education policy, and much more. In partnership with academic departments, campus leaders, student organizations, and community groups, these centers demonstrate how collaboration creates meaningful, real-world civic learning that makes an impact inside and beyond the classroom.

Garrett Smolen received the Student Award, which recognizes a student who is significantly involved in civic engagement activities at Illinois State University and/or in the broader community, embodying the ideal of an informed and engaged global community member.

Garrett Smolen is recognized for his sustained commitment to civic engagement through student leadership. As a long‑time participant, trip leader, and executive board member of Illinois State’s Alternative Breaks Registered Student Organization (RSO), Garrett has led multiple service trips, including several with Living Lands & Waters, coordinating students for large‑scale river and shoreline cleanups in Memphis, Tennessee.

He has also served as a student manager at the Office of Sustainability and as president of the Student Environmental Action Coalition. Through these roles and general volunteer service, he has made a tangible impact and contributed to a campus environment that sees Mother Earth as our biggest community partner. His civic engagement reflects long‑term dedication, informed leadership, and a deep commitment to serving both local and global communities.

PERIOD.@ISU was honored with the Registered Student Organization Award. This award recognizes an RSO that has been significantly involved in civic engagement at Illinois State University or in the broader community. 

PERIOD.@ISU is focused on eliminating period poverty through education, service, and advocacy. During the 2025–26 academic year, this organization combined campus education with direct community action—hosting educational programs on menstrual equity while donating more than 3,100 menstrual products to partners such as Home Sweet Home Ministries, Mid Central Community Action, the YWCA, and the School Street Food Pantry. Their work engages students directly in packing, distributing, and advocating for access to essential hygiene resources, while also challenging stigma around menstruation.

One of their nominators stated that the women served by the group “not only received clean hygiene products, but also experienced something deeper — comfort, dignity, and peace. Their generosity directly alleviated a financial burden for women already navigating significant challenges.” Another nominator wrote, “Their dedication extends beyond campus boundaries into the wider Bloomington–Normal community, where their advocacy and service make a measurable difference.”

Jackie Gunderson was honored with the Staff Award. This award recognizes a staff member who is significantly involved in civic engagement activities at Illinois State University and/or in the broader community. This recognition honors staff members who contribute to the public good and embody the core value of civic engagement personally and/or professionally.

By day, Jackie Gunderson is an assistant director of purchases for facilities in the Office of the Comptroller. However, you may also know her as an involved community member who has, for more than a decade, provided sustained leadership at The Penguin Project of McLean County, eliminating barriers to participation in musical theatre for youth with disabilities and their peers.

As artistic director and now executive director, Gunderson has built durable partnerships between Illinois State, families, schools, and community organizations while ensuring ethical governance, accessibility, accountability, and inclusion. Several nominators note that her motto is “we can do hard things,” and one Penguin Parent nominator says that Gunderson “embodies the spirit of this award [as] her contributions have strengthened our civic fabric and set a standard for inclusive leadership that others strive to follow.”

The Office of Sustainability received the Unit Award. This award recognizes a unit or department that has developed a civic engagement initiative or activity reflecting the department’s commitment to the public good.

The Illinois State University Office of Sustainability has spent considerable effort advancing civic engagement and sustainability through inclusive, hands‑on initiatives. During the 2025–26 academic year, the office supported programs such as Fix‑It Friday, the Share Shop, Redbird Fresh Market, Pass It On, and the Bike Share Program, addressing needs related to food insecurity, waste reduction, and access to resources.

In their letter of support, two student managers, who are trained as civic leaders in the office, said that their work has allowed them to build “not only professional skills but also a deep understanding of how collective action can improve quality of life both on campus and in the broader community.” The Office of Sustainability demonstrates how a campus unit can translate its values into meaningful civic learning, service, philanthropy, and action that contribute to the public good.

Chad Kahl was recognized with the Faculty Award. This award recognizes a faculty member who has contributed significantly to incorporating civic engagement into their teaching, scholarly, and creative productivity and whose commitment to the public good and advancement of civic engagement within their discipline is clear.

Chad Kahl is a long-time member and current president of the League of Women Voters of McLean County and has also served as an election judge. He was an early supporter and mobilizer of on-campus initiatives, including Deliberative Dialogues and the American Democracy Project. He is a member of the University’s Voter Engagement Coalition, and this year he worked with fellow librarians to set up a voter information table at Milner Library, where he is the subject librarian to Criminal Justice, Economics, Legal Studies, Military Science, and Politics & Government.

Kahl has served on the Carnegie reclassification task force and has been a reviewer for CCE’s community resilience grants. One of his nominators wrote that he “continues Illinois State University’s proud tradition of public service and civic engagement.” Kahl’s commitment to this work is clearly tireless, and this recognition is well earned.

The Center for Inclusive Intergenerational Environments was recognized with the Centering Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Award. This award recognizes an individual or group that has developed a civic engagement project that exemplifies the center’s vision of a more just and equitable world cultivated through the co-creation of knowledge, mutually beneficial partnerships, and collective action.

In just a few years, the Center for Inclusive Intergenerational Environments has brought together multiple disciplines, campus units, and community partners to promote connection and elevate the voices of often-overlooked groups — particularly non‑traditional and caregiving students. Through innovative research, public programming, and sustained collaboration, their work has advanced equity, belonging, and meaningful connection across generations and across the town-gown divide. They exemplify what impactful, inclusive civic engagement looks like in action.