Programs & Initiatives
Where Possibility Becomes Practice
The LaCasse Institute translates its founding vision into concrete opportunity — through fellowships that fund bold inquiry, scholarships that remove barriers to excellence, and initiatives that bring scholars, leaders, and communities together.
Fellowships
Funding Bold Inquiry
The Institute's fellowship programs support individuals whose work embodies the spirit of learning, leading, exploring, and serving — providing the time, resources, and community needed to pursue ideas that matter.
Research Fellowship
A full-year residential fellowship for scholars pursuing original research across disciplines. Fellows receive a stipend, access to the Institute's resources, and membership in a cohort of peers committed to rigorous, consequential inquiry.
Leadership Fellowship
An immersive program for emerging leaders in public service, civic life, and social enterprise. Fellows engage in structured mentorship, peer learning, and applied leadership challenges designed to accelerate their impact.
Creative Exploration Fellowship
A focused fellowship for artists, writers, designers, and creative thinkers whose work expands the boundaries of human expression. Fellows are given space, time, and support to pursue projects that defy easy categorization.
Scholarships
Removing Barriers to Excellence
The Institute believes that talent is evenly distributed but opportunity is not. Our scholarship programs are designed to ensure that financial circumstance never stands between a person and their potential.
LaCasse Merit Scholarship
Awarded annually to exceptional students demonstrating outstanding academic achievement, intellectual curiosity, and a demonstrated commitment to service. Open to undergraduate and graduate students across all fields of study.
First-Generation Scholar Award
A dedicated scholarship for first-generation college students who have demonstrated resilience, leadership, and a vision for how their education will serve their communities. Includes mentorship and professional development support.
Global Exploration Grant
Funding for students and early-career researchers to pursue international study, fieldwork, or collaborative projects that broaden their perspective and deepen their understanding of the world's complexity.
Initiatives
Building Bridges Across Communities
Beyond individual support, the Institute convenes and catalyzes — bringing together scholars, practitioners, and community members to address the challenges and opportunities of our time.
The Legacy Dialogues
A recurring series of public conversations featuring scholars, leaders, and thinkers who are shaping the future. The Dialogues are designed to be accessible, rigorous, and generative — sparking ideas that extend far beyond the room.
Community Partnership Program
A structured initiative connecting Institute fellows and scholars with community organizations, local governments, and civic institutions — creating pathways for knowledge to flow in both directions and for research to find real-world application.
The Exploration Lab
An interdisciplinary working group that brings together researchers, artists, technologists, and practitioners to tackle complex problems that resist single-discipline solutions. The Lab produces both knowledge and action.
Service Leadership Network
A growing network of Institute alumni and partners committed to lives of purposeful service. The Network provides connection, resources, and mutual support to those who have dedicated their careers to the common good.
Partnerships
Stronger Together
The Institute's work is amplified through strategic partnerships with universities, foundations, civic organizations, and cultural institutions that share our commitment to human possibility. We believe that the most enduring impact is achieved not in isolation, but in collaboration.