Blackburn College received a $7,600 community grant from the State Farm Corporation to support ongoing leadership training initiatives in the Work Program. Blackburn’s Provost and Dean of Work will partner to utilize the funds in the 2025-2026 academic year. The College’s “Leadership Development for Emerging Leaders” program is designed to help create strong leaders who provide guidance, inspiration, and a level of excellence in their roles ensuring the smooth and effective operation of the College’s unique student-led Work Program.
Carlinville State Farm agent Richard Oswald said, “I’m proud to be affiliated with a company like State Farm, that has made ‘giving back’ a core value, especially as it relates to developing leadership in young people in my community. Blackburn’s Work Program, where students literally help plan, manage and run the facilities, provides real-world experiences that create a career candidate who is prepared to be immediately productive.”
Blackburn Provost, Dr. Laura Wiedlocher, explained that students participating in the Work Program at Blackburn will benefit greatly through these leadership training programs and how they will be able to apply these skills in their new roles as student leaders guiding students in the 12 departments of the College’s Work Program. She stated, “In the past, funds from the State Farm leadership grant have been used to give students access to strength-based leadership assessments, bring speakers to campus to lead our students in workshops that facilitate strong communication, conflict resolution, and team building. We have also been able to use funds to include more students on experiential learning trips off campus, for example, taking students to Washington, D.C., to speak with members of Congress and their staff about the value of the Work Program. This outreach is part of our membership in the Work Colleges Consortium.”
In addition to this recent gift, the local State Farm Corporation agent’s group has supported Blackburn over the past several years with grants to the College totaling $20,000 for an Emerging Leaders Program in 2022 and for the Blackburn & Beyond program in 2021. Individuals in the local State Farm agents’ group include Linda Worlow, Virden; Jessica Ely, Gillespie; Richard Oswald, Carlinville; and Mark Stieren, Litchfield.