News and Events

On Oct. 15 and 16, the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center welcomed its National Advisory Board for their annual meeting. This eight-member board, composed of distinguished local and national leaders, met with the Center’s staff to offer strategic guidance, share feedback and explore opportunities to connect with like-minded organizations in northeast Ohio and beyond.

Special guests at the meeting included Dr. Baston, Dr. Kitchen, and representatives from both the Tri-C Foundation and the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation. Attendees heard directly from faculty, students and alumni about how the Mandel Humanities Center is enriching students’ educational journeys at Tri-C and beyond. The group also engaged in dynamic conversations about the vital role of humanities education in preparing students for success in all career paths.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation’s transformative $10 million gift to Tri-C, which established the Mandel Humanities Center and the Mandel Scholars Academy. The Honors and Scholars programs administered by the Center continue to empower students to become civic-minded leaders within their communities who have thought deeply about the human experience.

The Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Humanities Center is collaborating with the Cleveland Leadership Center (CLC) to offer a series of civic leadership experiences to Mandel Scholars. Inspired by CLC’s Campus Cleveland program, this partnership aims to deepen Mandel Scholars’ connection to the community while cultivating their civic engagement and leadership skills.

Originally created as a leadership development and community immersion program for college students from around the country who spend the summer in Cleveland for internships, Campus Cleveland hopes to build a pipeline of engaged leaders who are invested in Northeast Ohio long-term.

Recognizing its potential to inspire local students as well, the Mandel Humanities Center invited CLC to facilitate a special Civic Leadership Retreat tailored specifically for second-year Mandel Scholars.

A group of 65 Mandel Scholars gathered at the main branch of the Cleveland Public Library for a full day of leadership development activities on Friday, Oct. 3. The day included a mix of leadership skill development, team building activities, roundtable discussions with community leaders, a downtown Cleveland scavenger hunt and visioning activities for the upcoming year.

Mandel Scholar Harry Anderson reflected, “I have participated in multiple leadership retreats and experiences, yet they were lacking a major component. This Civic Leadership Retreat allowed us to practice leadership skills within a real-world context. During our Cleveland scavenger hunt, I saw my team genuinely begin to shine as their leadership approaches came to life. It is incredible how our skills start to show outside of a classroom."

Student Stefanie Wims concurred, “I learned you don’t have to be at the forefront in order to lead. The retreat gave me new insight on the city I grew up in and taught me productive ways to interact with different types of leaders.”

Mandel Scholars will have the opportunity to continue to connect with the CLC through additional Community Connections programs offered throughout the fall and spring semesters.