Reason #5 to Support Periclean Scholars: Reclaiming the Legacy of Pericles

Many of you reading this blog know a great deal of the Periclean program and how Periclean Scholars came about, but I realize that many of you do not. This post will provide background on the Periclean program (and, of course, tie in why I’d like for you to support Periclean Scholars).

The program claims Pericles of Athens in 5^th Century BC as its namesake. Pericles helped lead Athens to democracy and believed that every Athenian, regardless of socioeconomic status, held a duty to serve as well as leadership potential. These ideals remain the basis for American democracy.

Fast forward to 1999 and the actions of Eugene Lang – an accomplished businessman who has devoted his time and resources to educational philanthropy. Mr. Lang founded the “I Have a Dream” program and is a 1996 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. In 1999, he wrote an essay addressing a monumental concern: the growing political cynicism and civic disengagement of young people. He looked critically at collegiate initiatives to address these concerns, but lamented that most of these programs did little to leave a lasting impact on students’ civic attitudes. He believed that Pericles’ legacy was eroding and had to be restored. As a result, he created a planning committee to establish an organization to reclaim Pericles’ legacy, which the committee named “Project Pericles”.

After two years of discussions with hundreds of educators and civic leaders, Project Pericles had a mission and policies for colleges and universities to make commitments to educating students on civic and social responsibilities. The organization gained 501(c)(3) non-profit status and established a Board of Directors. Ten colleges and universities were chosen to be a part of Project Pericles as “pilot” institutions, of which Elon University was one. Elon President Leo Lambert accepted the charge and joined the nine other Presidents as part of the Presidents’ Council to cooperate in policymaking and management.

Each of the ten pilot institutions has implemented the mission and policies of Project Pericles, yet different programs have resulted. As a national model of engaged learning, Elon’s interpretation of Project Pericles was taken to the next level. The centerpiece of Elon’s program is Periclean Scholars. Each year since the Class of 2006 (inducted into Periclean Scholars in 2003), a Periclean Scholars cohort has been chosen from first-year students committed to raising the level of civic engagement and social responsibility.

For potential Periclean Scholars, the program truly begins with a four-credit course called “The Global Experience” – required for all first-year students. Students in good academic standing who have learned about global issues and are inspired to synthesize their knowledge into a project of international social change and common good are encouraged to apply to Periclean Scholars. By April of their first year, the cohort comes together and begins to create a plan of action for the next three years.

The next three years are an explosion of creativity, teamwork, and leadership. Students delve into global issues and research how they can best have an impact on their world and community. They quickly choose their country of focus (or have it selected by their mentor, as has been the most recent model). They look for partners in the local communities and vet them to see if they are worthy of Periclean partnership. They brainstorm ways to get the Elon community involved and engage them in these issues. They plan for travel to the country of focus and how best to help the community while involved on the ground. They carry the memories of the Periclean Scholars program with them throughout their lives and remember why it is so important to remain involved in positive social change and civic engagement.

Pericles’ ideals inspired the United States of America, which required institutions of higher education to carry on its mission and work. Colleges and universities garnered the support of philanthropists, such as Eugene Lang, who understood that they are the foundation of a functional democracy and civically engaged society. Eugene Lang realized that higher education institutions had to do even more to prevent civic disengagement and political cynicism, so he began Project Pericles. Elon latched on to Project Pericles and interpreted it as civically engaging young people while spreading Periclean ideals throughout partner countries and organizations, which led to Periclean Scholars.

I am fortunate enough to have been involved with the Periclean Scholars program and know what a lasting impact it has on Elon’s university students. In my opinion, the program is doing a fantastic job of reclaiming the legacy of the Athenian statesman Pericles. Expanding the ideals of civic engagement throughout global society by carrying out the Periclean Pledge has led to community problem solving, meaningful volunteerism, engagement in the political process, and more. Vehicles such as dedicating my marathon (and the resulting blog) help to spread these ideals even further and show that alumni are committed to the program for a lifetime, as I share with you the reasons for my dedication. I hope you will join me in supporting Periclean Scholars and the ideals it represents.

This is reason #5 to support Periclean Scholars: reclaiming the legacy of Pericles.