Newman students to benefit from banner year of grant funding

Current and future Newman students are set to reap significant benefits from an extraordinary amount of grants received during the 2023-24 academic year. More than $3.8 million of support promises to enhance the educational experience and create new opportunities for students and the communities Newman serves throughout Kansas.

Among the notable grants, Evergy contributed $8,250 for both the 2024 Newman Stem Exploration Program (NSEP) and the 2025 Investigative Summer Science Program (ISSP), highlighting its continued support for Newman’s educational initiatives. Spirit Aerosystems provided a $5,000 grant for ISSP 2024. The Berry Foundation’s $15,000 grant and the IMA Foundation’s $8,000 grant join Evergy in supporting students who will take part in ISSP 2025.

Both NSEP and ISSP programs focus on high school-aged students, providing them with hands-on experiences and exposure to STEM careers. Over the years, the programs have ignited a passion in numerous participants, many of whom attended Newman along their journey and later advanced to science related careers.

The Don and Susana Sbarra Foundation made a generous $10,000 donation to Metanoia, the university’s Catholic living community.

The city of Wichita provided a nearly $28,000 grant for Project Hope that helps address violent, drug-related and vagrant crime related to homelessness.

The bulk of the grants, as mentioned in other fall 2024 Newman Magazine articles, include a $492,444 grant from the State of Kansas (via American Rescue Plan Act funds) for renovating Sacred Heart Hall’s windows, and the federal funding totaling $3.3 million for Newman’s southwest Kansas initiatives.