The John Glenn College of Public Affairs holds the Salmon P. Chase Center, which recently received a $5 million National Endowment for Humanities grant. Credit: Daniel Bush | Campus Photo Editor
The Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society announced that it received a $5 million grant on Jan. 15 from The National Endowment for the Humanities, also known as the NEH, Division of Lifelong Learning.
In a press release Tuesday, Lee Strang, the center’s executive director, said that the grant will fund various initiatives including planning and launching three undergraduate civics programs, attracting and retaining multi-disciplinary faculty, supporting the center’s public-facing initiatives and growing the Chase Society student program.
The funding will support academic courses like the Civics, Law and Leadership, Great Books and Classical Education Teaching, according to the press release.
Stang said the amount of support the center has received is “indicative of the need for invigorating civics in higher education, in K-12 schools and for our nation.”
Strang said that the center’s goal is to build skills and mindsets that help foster civic unity and respect amid growing polarization in our society.
“The NEH’s financial support enables Chase to continue to grow our approach to citizenship education, one that aligns with Ohio State’s land-grant mission, forms American citizens and prepares students with valuable skills for their future careers and post-graduate goals,” Strang said.
According to the press release, this grant brings the total received funds and gifts to $11 million, with an additional $28 million coming from supporters since the Chase Center officially opened before the Autumn 2025 semester.
The Chase Center also received a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education last fall, per prior Lantern reporting.
Executive Vice President and Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda, said in the press release the NEH’s support of the Centers’ mission was “deeply appreciated.”
“Since its inception, the Chase Center has focused on developing its civics curriculum, creating a community for students to nurture civic-mindedness and also [promoted] public discourse by convening esteemed intellectuals to explore topics germane to investigating all aspects of what it means to be a citizen,” Bellamkonda said.
The Chase Center was formed after the passing of Senate Bill 117 in June 2024, which brought controversy and questions around the center’s purpose and possible ideological motives, per prior Lantern reporting.
The center launched its first three courses during the Autumn 2025 semester, with 10 additional courses and a new minor announced before the start of the spring 2026 semester.
