Washington and Lee Receives Grants to Advance Liberating Ideas Initiative Grants from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and the Deliberative Citizenship Network will support ongoing programming dedicated to promoting intellectual pluralism and civil discourse.

By Brian Laubscher
November 5, 2026

Washington and Lee University has received a $50,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to support its Liberating Ideas initiative during the 2026-27 academic year. A separate $10,000 grant from the Deliberative Citizenship Network, a national group of colleges and universities focused on civil discourse, will support W&L’s participation in the network’s first cohort.

“One of the great promises of a liberal arts education is that it teaches us not only to think deeply about what we believe, but also to examine our assumptions, encounter unfamiliar perspectives and remain open to changing our minds,” said Lena Hill, provost and professor of English and Africana Studies. “Liberating Ideas seeks to make those habits of mind a defining feature of intellectual life at W&L. We are grateful to the Jessie Ball duPont Fund and the Deliberative Citizenship Network for supporting this ambitious work and helping us extend its reach.”

The duPont Fund grant will fund the continued development of Liberating Ideas programming and help strengthen W&L’s intellectual life for years to come. It will expand the university’s ability to facilitate difficult conversations across differences, incorporate W&L’s history into teaching and programming and coordinate campus efforts focused on civil discourse and intellectual pluralism. As a result, students will have opportunities to approach complex questions with rigor and openness, practice respectful, evidence-based dialogue and prepare for thoughtful participation in civic life.

The grant will also support faculty development, student programs and assessment activities connected to W&L’s strategic priorities, creating opportunities for the university to work with peer institutions pursuing similar goals. Through those relationships, W&L can learn from other colleges and universities, share its own approaches and contribute to efforts to strengthen civil discourse and intellectual openness in higher education. The Deliberative Citizenship Network (DCN) grant will reinforce that work. Led by Davidson College and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the DCN provides training and resources that complement the duPont-funded programming.

During the 2026-27 academic year, the duPont Fund grant will support two Liberating Ideas student fellows and one faculty fellow, as well as a Winter Academy speaker, the Liberating Ideas Colloquia, three Wonder Dinners and several debate and dialogue events. Beyond this academic year, W&L expects Liberating Ideas to build lasting capacity on campus: faculty and staff trained to facilitate constructive dialogue, reusable curricular and co-curricular frameworks and stronger partnerships with community-based and national networks.

“These grants help us expand training in deliberation skills as well as programming that presents diverse scholarly perspectives on timely issues,” said Lucas Morel, the Provost Faculty Fellow for Liberating Ideas, John K. Boardman Jr. Professor of Politics and head of the Politics Department. “This will provide a strong foundation for continuing the work of Liberating Ideas beyond the current academic year.”

The duPont Fund is a private foundation that works to expand access to economic opportunity and create vibrant places for the people, organizations and communities that Jessie Ball duPont knew and loved. It envisions a world in which every member of those communities feels a sense of belonging and is engaged in shaping the future of their community. The fund uses grantmaking, investments, research and partnerships to build stronger communities where all voices are heard and valued.