Hanover & IU Southeast, Rivers of Time

Our second spotlight focuses on Hanover College and Indiana University Southeast, both along the Ohio River in Hanover and New Albany, Indiana. These institutions of higher education use creativity and expertise to help teachers, students, and communities find out more about the world around them.  

 

LEARNING RIVERSThe Rivers Institute at Hanover College

uses river environments to educate current and future students and the general public about environmental issues through the natural and social sciences, the arts, and the humanities.

As part of the Summer Academy, high school students work with members of Hanover’s faculty and student body. Scholars also use the college’s laboratory facilities and high-tech, state-of-the-art equipment in each of the areas of study.

The Rivers Institute Teacher Academy is an interdisciplinary program, providing elementary teachers with authentic inquiry activities using Project WET and Hoosier Riverwatch curriculums so their students can ‘do science’ through inquiry and apply the conclusions of fundamental science to stewardship decisions.

The Rivers Institute at Hanover College invites school groups grades K-5 to explore the wonders of the Hanover College Campus. From the Rivers Institute lab, to the tour of the natural history museum, to the exploration of forest trails to an enthralling storyteller, the Field Trip program provides an economically-friendly, interdisciplinary learning opportunity to children. At the June 2010 River Camps, kids ages 4 to 12 can have a week-long experience in an outdoor classroom setting with Hanover College education students as mentors.

During the Great River Paint Out, participants experience beautiful vistas and serene surroundings as they put brush to canvas. All ages, levels of experience and media are welcome!

The goal of the Rivers Institute Traveling Exhibit is to bring resources and expertise off campus and serve the community. This unique educational tool is designed for traveling to many different categories of events. From festivals, to conferences, to schools, this interactive exhibit teaches the public about the importance of river systems to the success of our society. Hanover College students are vital in the creation, implementation and maintenance of the exhibit, as well as the transportation, setup and educational component that makes this exhibit successful.

See: http://rivers.hanover.edu/
Contact: 812-688-6846
Thanks to: Larry E. DeBuhr, Executive Director, and Marissa A. Austin, Director of External Relations

WORLD IN A KIT
Teachers in southeast Indiana can borrow resource kits that open up the world to their students, thanks to Indiana University Southeast’s Center for Cultural Resources. An appreciation for personal and global diversity is the Center’s goal, which it fulfills by offering teaching resources, strategies, and information about professional opportunities.

Whether overseas or near home, diverse cultures share universal themes: connection to place, life experiences, human needs, interface with the natural world, a love of art and beauty.  Twelve such themes form the “organizers” for the CCR kits, which are supervised by the Center’s board and directors, as well as student interns.

Resource kits contain readings, curriculum guides, lesson plans, books, primary sources, artifacts, graphic media, and more. “Canada: Neighbor to the North,” “Amish: People Who Dare to Be Different,” and “Africa: Focus on Zimbabwe” are just a few of the nearly 50 titles, with others under development.

“All people need to understand the richness of their past and present culture and traditions; all people need to be able to anticipate the future with feelings of hope and challenge. . . . All people are becoming interdependent through connections with other people, places, ideas, services and products around the globe.” Big ideas, indeed.

See:  http://homepages.ius.edu/Groups/CCR/
Contact:  812-948-8123 or ccr@ius.edu
Thanks to:  Claudia Crump, Carolyn Diener, and Melanie Hughes, Center Directors

TALKING HISTORY

Established in 2008, Indiana University Southeast’s Institute for Local and Oral History set out to show how the lives of local citizens in the Ohio River Valley could become the stuff of history.

Training students to capture the stories of people who taught in one-room schoolhouses, went to war, and worked ordinary jobs is the first step. These projects can then grow and combine to become local histories, as well as career opportunities for the IU Southeast students.

Dr. Carl E. Kramer, an American urban historian and author of ten books, including This Place We Call Home: A History of Clark County, Indiana (2007), directs the Institute.

The Institute also sponsors the Lewis and Clark Expedition Summer Institute, in recognition of the expedition’s ties to the region around the university, including southeast Indiana and Louisville. Lewis and Clark recruited the members of their expedition in this area. Perhaps if the Institute had been around then, we would know how these men experienced the adventure of a lifetime.

See:  http://www.ius.edu/History/institute.cfm
Contact:  812-941-2279 or caekrame@ius.edu
Thanks to:  Carl E. Kramer, Institute Director