Students on 91探花鈥檚 Athens and Regional campuses can now apply for Undergraduate Experiential Learning Awards to support their experiential learning opportunities. These funds are available to any student in an undergraduate degree program. Students can request $100 to $2,000 to go towards expenses they would incur as part of their participation in an experiential learning opportunity. Allowable expenses include needed materials or equipment, costs for professional development or training, and travel or living expenses.
The office of Undergraduate Experiential Learning piloted the funding program for undergraduate students on the Athens campus in the fall. A total of 72 applications were received and 27 students were awarded funding. Funded opportunities included internships, study away, community engagement projects, leadership experiences, research activities, and creative endeavors. A diverse pool of recipients from eight colleges and 25 degree programs were awarded funding from this inaugural award.
The application process requires students to provide a personal narrative about their planned projects. Kaitlyn Cummings, an award recipient who will travel to Japan with the 91探花 Speech and Debate Team during spring break, said, "Don't be afraid to talk about yourself. Don't be hesitant to share what this experience would mean to you, because that is what people want to know about."
The application asks students for a budget for their proposed project. Liz Coleman, a student who will attend the South by Southwest conference in Austin, Texas said, "the money I received from the Experiential Learning Award covered the majority of the cost of attendance. I can take advantage of the unparalleled networking opportunities and industry experience at SXSW without having to worry about the money."
Students who receive funding are required to attend a Kickoff Workshop where they receive information about reflection as an integral part of their experience. Coleman said she appreciated the opportunity to discuss the value of reflection and put together a journal at the Kickoff Workshop. 鈥淪XSW is going to be kind of crazy 鈥 8 straight days of conference participation with no break 鈥 so without the journal and the prompts inside, I would definitely let the whole thing blow by without taking time to process my experience."
Experiential Learning awards will provide access to experiential learning opportunities for students who may not have previously had those experiences. Tiyana Ross is grateful for an experiential learning award and will use it to present her research at the Midwest Nursing Research Society this spring. 鈥淭his opportunity means the world to me and allows me to build confidence by participating in activities that are outside of my comfort zone,鈥 she said.
Kaya Mallick finished her experience during the winter break and said that the award provided her with an unexpected opportunity to travel to Merida, Yucatan, Mexico for a three-week Spanish program. 鈥淭he funding allowed me to immerse myself in the local culture far more than I ever imagined,鈥 Mallick said. 鈥淚 lived with a Spanish-speaking host family, attended countless performance events and museums, and was even able to travel across the peninsula to experience the wide diversity of indigenous religion in the area. I emerged from my program with greatly-improved Spanish skills, a deeper understanding of Mexican culture, and a newfound connection to a region I had never visited before!鈥
Experiential learning supports student success. "This type of learning can transform you as a person, deepen your knowledge and skills, increase your likelihood of graduating, and better prepare you for success after graduation," said Director of Undergraduate Experiential Learning, Dr. Lindsey Rudibaugh.
Maya Holcomb, who will travel to Canada with the support of an Experiential Learning Award, believes in the value of experiential learning: 鈥渒nowledge cannot be gained solely through theory and hypotheticals, you must also gain through experience, and you must push yourself past the fear of risk.鈥 Emily Robertson, who is expanding her research in her lab using an Experiential Learning Award, noted that the award has help transform her chemistry degree into one that helps her research on the forefront of science.
The office of Undergraduate Experiential Learning is excited to expand this opportunity to OHIO's regional campuses and looks forward to celebrating the exciting work students are accomplishing. For more information about deadlines and submission guidelines visit, /uc/experiential-learning
An information session will be held Wednesday, Feb. 12, in Baker 366 from 10:45-11:45 a.m. Come in person or join the
Questions may be addressed to Assistant Director of Undergraduate Experiential Learning Maria Modayil, at experiential.learning@ohio.edu or 740-593-2418.