MARTINSVILLE (WSLS10) - Patrick Henry Community College is developing a new honors humanities program, which will focus on Appalachian culture.
The new program, meant to bring local students closer to their heritage, is thanks to a $100,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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"This is going to be so meaningful for our students," said Angela Wright, who will serve as project director. "They will be able to connect what they learn in the classroom with the history and culture of their own communities. It will have a huge impact on what students learn and how they apply it."
"The Humanities Honors Program will lead to deeper learning for high-achieving humanities students and greater success for students transferring to four-year institutions. It will allow high-performing students an opportunity to distinguish themselves while at PHCC," said Dr. Angeline Godwin, PHCC president.
Read the full release below.
PHCC to develop honors program and Appalachian culture studies with grant
MARTINSVILLE, VA – A new honors program which brings students closer to their heritage will begin development this fall at Patrick Henry Community College thanks to a $100,000 grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Designed to foster scholarship among students who are educationally well-prepared and who enjoy academic challenge, the Humanities Honors Program will have a focus on Appalachian culture.
PHCC is one of only 12 community colleges nationwide to receive a humanities grant from the NEH under the Common Good initiative, which seeks to "bring the humanities into the public square and foster innovative ways to make scholarship relevant to contemporary issues," according to the NEH website. Incorporating a focus on topics of importance to their own community's culture and history will increase student engagement and enthusiasm, PHCC officials say.
"This is going to be so meaningful for our students," said Angela Wright, who will serve as project director. "They will be able to connect what they learn in the classroom with the history and culture of their own communities. It will have a huge impact on what students learn and how they apply it." Wright is associate professor of English/Communication Studies/Theatre at the college.
During the first year of the three-year grant (2016-2019), a faculty team will convene to research and develop a program and curriculum relevant to Appalachian culture and how it has influenced music, arts, and theatre; economic development; racial impact and cultural heritage; and literature. The team will read, discuss, make cultural visits and hear speakers, as well as host regional best-selling authors, playwrights and historians. Among those invited to make presentations are Dr. Rex Stephenson (professor emeritus at Ferrum College and playwright, director and founder of the Blue Ridge Dinner Theatre); Beth Macy (journalist and best-selling author of Factory Man); Henry Weincek (historian, journalist, and author of The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White); Timothy Sims (chief of interpretation and resource management for the Booker T. Washington National Monument); Adriana Trigiani (internationally known best-selling author of 15 novels, including Big Stone Gap); and Martin Clark (circuit court judge and award-winning author of several novels including The Jezebel Remedy).
After a year of guided exploration, the college will introduce three pilot honors courses for students: English, history and communication (speech). In the final year the program will expand into a full Honors Graduate program. Students will need to apply and meet and maintain minimum academic standards to enroll in the program. To further enhance the opportunity for meaningful classroom experiences, students will participate in cooperative learning, a teaching strategy for which PHCC has gained a national reputation.
"The Humanities Honors Program will lead to deeper learning for high-achieving humanities students and greater success for students transferring to four-year institutions. It will allow high-performing students an opportunity to distinguish themselves while at PHCC," said Dr. Angeline Godwin, PHCC president.
"I want to extend my sincere congratulations to Patrick Henry Community College on securing this grant award. Appalachia is a region rich with history and culture, and I am confident this grant will help unlock significant opportunities for education and enrichment that will greatly benefit PHCC students and our community as well," Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) said.
The Humanities Honors program at PHCC has been made possible in part by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.