Invitation to Attend the January Project Seminars

Jan 4, 2021

To: Wellesley College Faculty and Staff
From: Erin Konkle, Program Director, Civic Engagement
Re: Invitation to Attend the January Project Seminars
Date: January 4, 2021

Today ​Wellesley embark​s​ on its first all-campus Wintersession: the January Project. Over 600 students will participate in immersive experiences meant to engage them in experiential learning and build community among peers. First-years will read and discuss The Other Americans by Laila Lalami; sophomores will participate in community engagement projects and reflection experiences; and juniors and seniors will participate in Hive Internship Projects, short-term, professional development opportunities sponsored by alumnae, parents, campus departments, and others. January will be a time for community building, reflection, and personal/professional development for all our students.

In addition to these immersive experiences, the January Project includes a series of seminars, many of which are also open to faculty and staff. All of them are sponsored by departments, institutes, and centers across campus, and relate to this year’s 20th anniversary Tanner Conference themes: the COVID-19 pandemic, the changing environment, the movement for racial justice, and the 2020 election. We invite you to review the January Project Seminars schedule and to register for any sessions that interest you.

During the final week of January, we will also welcome Laila Lalami and Danielle Allen, in separate events on January 27 and 28, respectively, to close out the program. Allen is the James Bryant Conant University Professor and director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, and will join President Paula A. Johnson in a virtual conversation about the future of democracy following the tumultuous 2020 election. Details about registering for the Lalami event will become available on the January Project web page in the coming days.

We are grateful to the many campus partners introducing these new programs this month, and we hope you will join us at one or more of the seminars.