Alumni Community Engagement Fund (ACEF)
The CSC’s Alumni Community Engagement Fund (ACEF) is an annual fund which seeks to support Commonwealth Alumni in raising awareness of key development issues at the community level through the organisation of an engagement activity.
Alumni Community Engagement Fund (ACEF)
From organising Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career guidance for secondary school girls in Uganda to community workshops on climate change in Papua New Guinea to information on eye health care in Cameroon, these activities are designed by Commonwealth Alumni with expertise in the topic area and an understanding of the needs of their chosen community in relation to this.
Small changes for big impact
Each year, the CSC selects one or more themes which the ACEF alumni engagement activities must address. Alumni are expected to draw on their knowledge and skills in areas related to one of the themes to develop and deliver their community engagement activity.
Previous ACEF activities
Coinciding with the CSC’s Professional Fellowships in Gender and Sexuality, read how alumni raised awareness on the rights, freedoms, dignity, and inclusion of communities who are discriminated against because of gender identity or sexuality.
Indigenous communities and indigenous or traditional ancestral knowledge play a crucial role in understanding and adapting to some of the world’s most critical development challenges. Discover how alumni advocated for indigenous knowledge across some of these challenges.
32 of the 56 member countries of the Commonwealth are small states. Find out how alumni heightened awareness of the challenges and vulnerabilities facing small Commonwealth states.
See how alumni raised awareness around preserving marine ecosystems, increasing the use of renewable energies, and improving air quality to help mitigate and adapt to climate change in their communities.
In keeping with the spirit of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, read how Commonwealth Alumni raised awareness of the role of sport as an important enabler of sustainable development.
Coinciding with the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in 2021, alumni designed and delivered a climate action themed community-focused activity.
As part of the UK government’s ambitious initiatives to get 40 million more girls in primary and secondary school by 2026, find out how alumni advocated for Girls’ Education.
See how alumni helped raise awareness around the theme for World Water Day 2021. Held on 22 March each year, the day raises awareness of the 2 billion people who do not have access to safe water.
World Health Day aims to increase awareness around a specific health theme to highlight a priority area of concern for the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2021, this was ‘preparedness and prevention for public health’. Find out what alumni did in this area.
How to apply
Applications for the 2023 CSC Alumni Community Engagement Fund are now closed. All those eligible to apply in 2024 will be contacted by email.
