CONWAY, Ark. (Dec. 20, 2005) - A total of 14 student and 11 faculty-directed Odyssey project proposals have been selected to receive funding as the first Hendrix College Odyssey Program project grants.
Awarded by the Hendrix Committee on Experiential Learning, the grants totaling $83,360 will allow students and faculty to participate in experiential learning projects that will take them to places ranging from Japan and Istanbul to Australia and England.
The diverse, self-defined studies range from campus projects such as creating a coral reef ecosystem aquarium in the D.W. Reynolds Center for Life Sciences to participating in a tour in the Australian outback to learn about Aboriginal culture. The grants will provide funding for more than 100 students and faculty to pursue their passions and scholarly interests next year.
"I'm delighted by the range of projects that came into our office and by the level of interest expressed by students and faculty alike,"said Mark Schantz, Odyssey Program director. "I'd like to thank Chair Tom Goodwin and the other members of the Committee on Experiential Learning for their excellent work on the funding process."
Added Nancy Fleming, Odyssey associate director: "This funding round was only our first, and this group of projects has set a high standard for the program as it unfolds."
The grants were awarded for projects in six Odyssey categories: Artistic Creativity, Global Awareness, Professional and Leadership Development, Service to the World, Undergraduate Research and Special Projects. Funding for the Odyssey Project grants is provided by alumni, board members, friends of the college and foundations.
The Odyssey Program, a new curricular program that began this fall at Hendrix, encourages students to embark on educational adventures that reflect their personal interests and abilities. This year's entering freshmen will be required to complete at least three Odyssey projects before graduation.
Three Hendrix students who share a deep interest in Japan and Zen -- Ryan Norman of Fayetteville, Sam Henry of Conway and Nick Pippins of Austin, Texas -- depart Jan. 9 on their Odyssey headed for Kyoto, Japan. They will live with a Zen priest and his family at a temple, meditating with monks and visiting Buddhist temples. Preparation for their trip has included researching Japanese history and culture and practicing useful phrases.
"Practicing meditation has shown me that knowledge should not exist alone, as a kind of flat knowledge, but can and should be used to enhance an experience," said Norman.
Among the other projects: Joey Williams, a sophomore from Ward, Ark., will travel to the World Magic Seminar in Las Vegas, Nev., to learn techniques from world-renowned magician David Roth. Two students will participate in the summer British Studies at Oxford program at Oxford University. Fifteen students will study in March with John Hitchcock, an internally exhibited Native American artist. Another student will develop a Web site for the Faulkner County Election Commission.
After spending a semester discussing assigned readings on Ghanaian history, culture and literature, a study group led by Hendrix English Professor Carol West, will travel to Africa to get first-hand experience about Ghana. They will also attend the African Literature Association's annual conference in Accra/Labadi, where they will hear presentations by Africa's leading writers and scholars.
"Our travels throughout Ghana will provide exposure to a variety of cultural and physical environments and to a diversity of local Ghanaians," Dr. West said.
For a complete list of the project proposals and grant recipients, go to http://www.hendrix.edu/odyssey/odyssey.aspx?id=3243
Beginning in the fall 2005 semester, all Hendrix freshmen are required to complete Odyssey experiences in at least three categories before graduation. Each graduate will receive an Odyssey transcript outlining his or her project, in addition to an academic transcript. To find out more about the Odyssey Program, visit www.hendrix.edu/odyssey.
Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college emphasizing experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. Hendrix was selected this year by the Princeton Review as the nation's No. 4 "best value" college. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.
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Contact: Judy Williams, 501/450-1462, williamsj@hendrix.edu