To: The Wellesley College Community
From: Andrew Shennan, Provost and Lia Gelin Poorvu ’56 Dean of the College
Re: Introducing the January Project at Wellesley
Date: October 23, 2020
This has been an unprecedented time in all of our lives. So much about our world and about the Wellesley experience has changed in the last seven months. The January Project offers students an opportunity to connect, engage, and reflect on what it means to be a Wellesley student, a member of this community and other communities, and a global citizen in this challenging moment.
The idea for the January Project grew out of collaborations in the Academic Fall Planning Committee and now includes faculty, staff, and students from across campus. January Project programs will involve the participation of the Student Life division, the Newhouse Center for the Humanities, Career Education, the Ministrare Council, the Frost Center for the Environment, the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership, the Paulson Initiative, the Albright Institute, the Davis Museum, and many others.
January Project programs will engage students across class years and distance in immersive experiences and seminars. Building on this year’s reimagined Tanner Conference, the January Project will focus on the four themes of political polarization, COVID-19, racial justice, and climate change, and offer a mix of immersive programming and seminars customized for each class year.
All January Project experiences will take place between January 4 and January 30. Students in the immersion programs will engage regularly with other students, Wellesley faculty and staff, or alumnae. Seminars are shorter programs that will range from single workshops or webinars to a short series.
Immersion Programs
First-Year Common Text Experience
First-years can elect to read a common text (title to be announced soon!). Self-led reading groups, with faculty and staff guest appearances, will focus on exploration and connection as many of our first-year students transition away from the Wellesley campus and friends they are just getting to know.
Sophomore Community Engagement Experience
This an opportunity for Wellesley sophomores to explore civic engagement in their home communities and develop purpose in an unusual time. Using a peer-to-peer model, led by the Ministrare Council, sophomores will join with their Wellesley sibs in community engagement and guided reflection.
Junior and Senior Hive Internship Project (HIP) Experience
Hive Internship Projects (HIPs) are short-term, virtual, real-world projects done in two-week sprints. Through participation in a HIP, juniors, seniors, and Davis Scholars will have the opportunity to earn .5 nonacademic credit, build skills, gain industry knowledge, and develop a mentorship relationship with a Wellesley alumna, parent, or employer partner.
Seminars
All class years and Davis Scholars will have the opportunity to participate in short-term seminar experiences that offer a glimpse into other programming at Wellesley. The seminars will be hosted by campus centers, institutes, and offices and will focus on one or more of the four themes drawn from Tanner: political polarization, COVID-19, racial justice, and climate change. Students can pair their immersion program with seminars or enroll only in the seminars, and they can enroll in as many as they choose.
How to Get Involved
Getting involved in the January Project is easy: Simply complete this interest form on WEngage and the planning team will follow up with next steps in November. You can find more information about the January Project at wellesley.edu/januaryproject.
I am grateful to all those who have been working since the summer to create these exciting opportunities, and encourage all students to give serious consideration to participating.
