The Parents Council Grant History

The Parents Council focuses on encouraging interaction between family members and the university by supporting programs offered through New Student & Family Programs and Student Affairs. Council members contribute a gift each academic year in support of the signature Parents Council Grant Program. Since 1985, the Grant Program has successfully benefited undergraduate students by providing nearly 2 million dollars in funding to enhance the quality of undergraduate student life and learning at Carolina.

With the support of the university, the Council accepts and reviews grant proposals from student organizations and university offices. Grant awards have been used to jumpstart new and innovative university programs. It has also supported training, mentoring opportunities, and other educational advancement endeavors. Some Parents Council-funded programs awarded years ago still continue today. Examples of grants that have made an impact at Carolina include:

FallFest

Considered a signature grant, it has been continually supported since the event's inception. FallFest is a safe and fun welcome event during move-in weekend. Originally, this event was proposed as a way to combat alcohol-related incidents at the start of the academic year.

SafeWalk

This student-initiated grant created a service in which trained students would be on-call to accompany Carolina Community members safely between locations on and off campus. SafeWalk students were trained by UNC Police, Chapel Hill Police, Student Affairs, and Student Government. Over 15,000 individuals have used SafeWalk's services and it continues to make UNC a safer community.

Student Emergency Fund

This fund provided financial support when students encountered unexpected emergency expenses surrounding situations such as accidents, illness, death of a family member, housing fire damage, or the need for temporary housing.

Carolina Firsts Recognition & Pinning Ceremony

This program seeks to encourage the persistence and graduation of first-generation college students at Carolina by celebrating their success with a graduation and pinning ceremony. Making up nearly 20% of the undergraduates at UNC, Carolina Firsts are integral to the university, contributing to the diversity, cultural, and intellectual life of the university's vibrant undergraduate community.

Boot Print to Heel Print: Preparing Carolina Veterans for Success

This is a comprehensive and veteran-centered program. It supplements orientation, enhances their first-semester success, and creates a sense of belonging at the university. This program introduces veterans to university culture, provides an overview of university resources, engages them with faculty and staff, and promotes the creation of a peer support network.

CompostMates

Composting is one of the easiest ways people can help combat climate change. And while Carolina has a robust on-campus composting program in its dining halls, for students who live off-campus, the options get expensive. This group of Tar Heels, founded CompostMates, a Carolina student organization dedicated to expanding access to composting for off-campus students through a free, curbside food scrap collection service. CompostMates’ main initiative is to reduce barriers to composting for students in Chapel Hill and Carrboro through free biweekly pickup service. The group consists of student volunteers and team members who pick up food scraps and take them to community gardens for composting. Since launching, CompostMates has diverted more than 3,000 pounds of waste from landfills. This group is one of the more recent Grant Award recipients and will use these funds to expand its capabilities.

*Grant History prepared by the Emeritus Class (Past Members) of the Carolina Parents Council