Students lead community-minded service projects through KU Trailblazers Program
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Center for Service Learning has received external funding to support the continuation of the CSL’s Trailblazers Mini-Grant and Cohort Program, an initiative to uplift student leaders partnering with the community on projects that work toward social change.
Student leaders, dubbed “Trailblazers,” manage their own projects in collaboration with community and campus partners. Beyond support from mini-grant funding, Trailblazers meet for monthly cohort sessions to share feedback with one another and engage with curriculum provided by the KU Center for Community Health and Development’s Community Tool Box.
The 2025-2026 cohort included more than two dozen Trailblazers distributed across 16 projects; passions and goals varied, but common themes included environmental sustainability, youth mentorship and health resources. Trailblazer project titles and corresponding primary contacts are archived on the CSL website.
Four Trailblazers — Bhavya Gupta, Overland Park; Jaden Huehl, Sylvan Grove; Allison Monteleone, Onaga; and Nate Tatpati, Andover — presented their projects at the 2026 IMPACT Conference at the University of Cincinnati.
Huehl, who partnered with Foster Village of Northeast Kansas to develop a summer education program for foster families, said, “Seeing the impact other students were making gave me a whole new appreciation for community-engaged work and inspired me to think more broadly about what projects like this can accomplish.”
Many Trailblazers also reflected on their service projects and community impact by submitting five-minute videos to the CSL’s annual Service Showcase. Helen Viloria, a Trailblazer who partnered with Liberty Memorial Central Middle School to develop a student-run resource closet, won the Top Individual Presentation award.
Applications for the 2026-2027 cycle open Aug. 10 and close Sept. 4. Up to 15 projects will be accepted and funded at $500 each.
Projects are encouraged to be innovative and related to a student’s passion while responsive to a community’s most pressing needs. Students are encouraged to establish and solidify community partnerships prior to applying to ensure project buy-in and community input.
An information session hosted by CSL will take place 4-5 p.m. Aug. 31 in 201 Summerfield Hall.
The Center for Service Learning collaborates with community and campus partners to develop students into engaged global citizens through experiential learning and civic engagement.