Experiential Humanities: an Interdisciplinary Participatory Model for Humanities Education

FAIN: AKA-291047-23

Indiana University (Bloomington, IN 47405-7000)
Aaron R Comstock (Project Director: September 2022 to June 2023)
Justin Carroll (Project Director: June 2023 to present)
Denise Bullock (Co Project Director: June 2023 to present)

A one-year project to plan a concentration in experiential humanities, integrating anthropology, archaeology, biology, chemistry, and history at Indiana University East.

This project will develop an interdisciplinary Experiential Humanities program at Indiana University East focused on providing students with experiences and skills that will benefit both their education and careers. Using humanities methodologies as a foundation, we develop a novel approach that uses experiential learning to engage students with indigenous ways of knowing in a variety of disciplines. By integrating history, anthropology, fine arts, biology, and chemistry, we create a framework through which students will gain a deeper understanding of local peoples and histories by experiencing technologies, places, and cultures first-hand. In this sense, our approach also highlights the ways in which humanities can increase the efficacy of experiential learning through engagement with indigenous ways of knowing.