Scholars should begin to research opportunities no later than the end of the first semester of the sophomore year. The development of ideas and proposals for the project will be done in consultation with the Director of the Office of Honor Scholarships. Scholars should be aware that there are a number of excellent opportunities available throughout the U.S. and abroad. Some of the best opportunities have application deadlines as early as mid-October. This underscores the importance of early planning.

Study abroad opportunities are available in virtually every country in the world. A stipend for use in an overseas program will be granted after a student has been admitted to the program. Scholars participating in a Vanderbilt international program can earn up to seven credit hours while fulfilling humanities requirements for their degree.

Many departments offer students the opportunity to conduct independent or joint research projects under the direction of a faculty member. Project proposals are typically completed through the Vanderbilt Undergraduate Summer Research Program (VUSRP). Projects outside the scope of VUSRP may be proposed as directed or independent study projects.

Scholars interested in pursuing enrichment projects outside of study abroad or research may petition the Chancellor's Scholars Advisory Board.

The $5,000 stipend represents a maximum amount, will be paid directly to the project administrator and will be applicable toward tuition, room, board, travel and other related expenses as funds permit.

All sophomore and junior Chancellor's Scholars who have not yet met with Lyn Fulton-John to begin discussing a summer project MUST do so no later than Friday, February 16, 2010.

Completed applications for the summer enrichment project, which includes your project proposal and/or verification of acceptance by the project supervisor, are due to Lyn Fulton-John by April 13, 2010.

Your final report should be a visual, interactive presentation that incorporates all of the following items in a creative, original way. Use hyperlinks to give your reader the opportunity to link to another article/image/source that illustrates your story/point.

Readers will link to your web page from your cover photo (see below), which we will post on the Chancellor’s Scholars web site.

Photos

Use photos to help tell your story. Be selective in the photos you choose, making sure that images are sharp, clear, and fit in with the story you are trying to tell. Caption all photos, making sure to note where and when they were taken.

Cover photo that will be the first link to your blog:

1. Picture of you actively involved in something related to your project
2. Include at least 3 mini photo-essays. Each essays should feature 1 – 3 photos and be accompanied by a story of 200-300 words that describes an experience that goes with the photo.

Text

Your first block of text should be the abstract of your project.

General Reflections

1. Of the myriad of options available, why did this particular experience appeal to you?
2. What do you know about yourself now that you didn’t know prior to this experience?
3. What impact will this experience have on the short-term (class selection, major, minor) and long-term choices you will make regarding your education?
4. How have your career/graduate study plans been affected by this experience?

For International Experiences

1. Discuss at least two encounters/experiences that you believe arose primarily as a result of your nationality, race, gender, socioeconomic status (real or perceived), or education.
2. Identify several pre-conceived notions that you had about the country/culture you visited and describe experiences that either served to confirm or challenge these notions.

For Research/Internship Experiences

Because there is so much variation in these experiences, the following questions are offered to guide you in your reflections. While you do need to respond to each of them, you may need to reframe the question somewhat in order for it to apply to your particular experience.

1. What are the key questions being addressed by the research/organization for which you worked and why are they important?
2. What did you learn about the population/clients served by this organization? In the case of research, what did you learn about the potential applications of this research/work?
3. Discuss the potential impact – positive or negative – of the work you performed/observed on a particular population (ie: women, Hispanics, economically disadvantaged, immigrants, etc.).

To bring your enrichment experience to a close, submit your completed journal, evaluations and financial report to Lyn Fulton-John (lyn.fulton-john@vanderbilt.edu) no later August 31, 2009.