[IMC] F/U: PRESS: Free College-Level Course in Humanities in Urbana-Champaign

Tue Jun 26 19:44:23 UTC 2012

Hello to the Independent Media Center,

This is Carlos Velazquez, I am the communications manager for the Illinois
Humanities Council; I wanted to follow up with you on the email below on
the the recruitment of adults in Champaign for the Odyssey Project, our
free college-level liberal arts courses to adults living on low-incomes..
Perhaps your audiences may be interested in hearing about them?

With Ethnic Studies programs, which are essentially humanities programs,
under attack in Arizona, I wonder if these programs would be outlawed
there? Another quote, this time from a former student, speaks to the
programs ability to empower the disenfranchised. *"I've always been
opinionated. This is the first time that's been looked upon as something
good....If President Obama was sitting right there, I wouldn't be
intimidated to discuss Socrates with him. Socrates is my new best friend."*

We would appreciate any opportunity to get this information out to your
audiences. Let me know if there is any information I can provide; I can put
you in touch with faculty or alumni from the Champaign area. Thank you so
much for all of your great work!

On Tue, Jun 12, 2012 at 9:23 AM, Carlos Velázquez <cav at prairie.org> wrote:

>
>
>
>  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
>
>
>
>
> *Free College-Level Courses in the Humanities Begin This Fall
>
> ***
>
> *Odyssey Project offers classes on literature, philosophy, history and art
> *
>
> * *
>
> *CHICAGO*, IL-* June 12, 2012*— Illinoisans in the areas of Chicago and
> Urbana-Champaign are invited to apply to be part of a unique program
> offering a free college liberal arts course to adults living on
> low-incomes, complete with college credit.    **
>
>
>
> The Odyssey Project, a program of the Illinois Humanities Council in
> partnership with the Clemente Course in the Humanities, is a free college-level
> introduction to the humanities, founded on the conviction that engagement
> with the humanities can offer individuals a way out of poverty by fostering
> habits of sustained reflection, critical thinking, and skilled
> communication.
>
>
>
> Classes are offered in literature, philosophy, history, art history, and
> writing, taught by faculty members from top institutions including the
> University of Chicago, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and
> DePaul University. In partnership with the Bard College Clemente® Course in
> the Humanities, students may receive up to six units of college credit.
>
>
>
> Courses are taught at AKArama Community Service Center in Woodlawn on
> Chicago’s South Side, the Howard Area Community Center in Rogers Park on
> the North Side, and Spanish-speaking students meet at the Gads Hill Center
> in Pilsen. The course in Champaign is held at the Illinois Program for
> Research in the Humanities on the UIUC campus. *Since its inception, more
> than 500 students have graduated from the program.   *
>
> * *
>
> Earl Shorris, the late founder of the Clemente Course in the Humanities,
> of which the Odyssey Project course is a part, said that, “If one has been
> ‘trained’ in the ways of poverty … what is needed is a beginning, not a
> repetition. The humanities teach us to think reflectively, to begin, to
> deal with the new as it occurs to us, to dare. If the multigenerational
> poor are to make the leap out of poverty, it will require a new kind of
> thinking—reflection.”
>
>
>
> The Odyssey Project is now accepting applications for its 2012-2013 school
> year. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and live in a household with
> income no more than 150 % of the Federal poverty level.  Classes are free
> of charge and books, on-site babysitting and transit cards are also
> provided. * *Classes are held mid-September through May at all locations.
> *The application deadline is August 1, 2012. *Applications and information
> about the Odyssey Project are available on the Odyssey Project page at
> www.prairie.org or by contacting Amy Thomas Elder at 312.422.5580.
>
>
>
> *About the Illinois Humanities Council *
>
> * *
>
> *The Illinois Humanities Council is an independent, nonprofit state
> affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, **dedicated to
> fostering a culture in which the humanities are a vital part of the lives
> of individuals and communities. The IHC creates programs and funds
> organizations that promote greater understanding of, appreciation for, and
> involvement in the humanities by all Illinoisans, regardless of their
> economic resources, cultural background, or geographic location. The IHC is
> supported by state, federal, and private funds. ***
>
>
>
> Media Contact:
>
> Carlos Velázquez
>
> (312) 422-5580, x233
>
> cav at prairie.org
>
> *D A R E T O K N O W*
> *# # #*
>

-- 

*Carlos Velázquez
*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Communications Manager
Illinois Humanities Council
Suite 1400
17 North State St.
Chicago, IL 60602.3296
312.422.5585 ext 233
312.422.5588 Fax
http://www.prairie.org
cav at prairie.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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