MWCC Humanities Initiative

FAIN: CZ-50349-14

Mount Wachusett Community College (Gardner, MA 01440-1378)
Michelle Valois (Project Director: February 2013 to March 2022)

Endowment for humanities programming and interdisciplinary teaching and research in the humanities to engage MWCC students and the public in the discussion of enduring themes and ideas from the world's rich cultural and intellectual traditions.

The purpose of the MWCC Humanities Initiative Endowment is to support collaborative and interdisciplinary teaching and research in the humanities and to engage MWCC students and the north central Massachusetts region in the discussion of enduring themes and ideas from the world’s rich cultural and intellectual traditions. The endowment will fund common annual themes to be integrated across campus curricula and woven into campus and community humanities programming. The MWCC Humanities Initiative will serve as a model for humanities programming at other two-year colleges. Community college graduates are increasingly being produced in technical and career programs that have little emphasis on a liberal arts education and exposure to the humanities. An emphasis on global issues in general and introductory courses in the humanities curriculum will better prepare all graduates and expose career and technical program students in particular to global issues affecting society and workforce.

Associated Products

East Meets West in a Cabin in Condord: Walden and Beyond (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: East Meets West in a Cabin in Condord: Walden and Beyond
Abstract: Information on the events for the 2014-2015 Humanities Project theme, "East Meets West in a Cabin in Concord: Walden and Beyond," which explored the impact of Eastern cultures and religions on American Transcendentalists like Thoreau. Events included public lectures, book discussions, and film screenings.
Author: Michelle Valois
Date: 9/17/14
Location: MWCC
Primary URL: https://mwcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IP128-05-NEH-Poster.pdf
Primary URL Description: Flyer with events for the first year of the Humanities Project (2014-2015)

Myths, Monsters, and Modern Science: Frankenstein's Legacy (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Myths, Monsters, and Modern Science: Frankenstein's Legacy
Abstract: Information on the events for the 2015-2016 Humanities Project theme, "Myths, Monsters, and Modern Science: Frankenstein's Legacy," which explored modern conceptions of monsters, science, race, and gender. Events included public lectures, book discussions, and film screenings.
Author: Michelle Valois
Date: 9/24/15
Location: MWCC
Primary URL: https://mwcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IP128-05Rev-Aug15-NEH-Frankenstein-Poster.pdf
Primary URL Description: Flyer with events for 2015-2016 Humanities Project programming

Imagining Work (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Imagining Work
Abstract: Information on the events for the 2016-2017 Humanities Project theme, "Imagining Work" which explored the changing nature of work throughout the twentieth century. Events included public lectures, book discussions, and film screenings.
Author: Michelle Valois
Date: 10/20/16
Location: MWCC
Primary URL: https://mwcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IP128-05Rev-Aug16-NEH-Imagining-Work-Poster.pdf
Primary URL Description: Flyer with events for the 2016-2017 Humanities Project programming

Play Ball: The History, Culture, and Politics of Baseball (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Play Ball: The History, Culture, and Politics of Baseball
Abstract: Information on the events for the 2017-2018 Humanities Project theme, "Play Ball: The History, Culture, and Politics of Baseball" which used baseball as a lens to explore topics like the politics of globalization, race, and gender. Events included public lectures, book discussions, and film screenings.
Author: Michelle Valois
Date: 9/28/17
Location: MWCC
Primary URL: https://mwcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IP128-05Rev-July17-NEH_Poster_FNL.pdf
Primary URL Description: Flyer of events for the 2017-2018 Baseball themed programming by the Humanities Project

Revisiting 1984 (Public Lecture or Presentation)
Title: Revisiting 1984
Abstract: Information on the events for the 2018-2019 Humanities Project theme, "Revisiting 1984" which explored issues related to surveillance and "fake news" in media. Events included public lectures, book discussions, and film screenings.
Author: Michelle Valois
Date: 9/20/18
Location: MWCC
Primary URL: https://mwcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/IP128-05Rev-NEH-Poster-Final_8-20-18.pdf
Primary URL Description: Flyer of events for 2018-2019 Humanities Project programming on Orwell's 1984

Mount Wachusett Community College Humanities Project (Center)
Name: Mount Wachusett Community College Humanities Project
Abstract: The MWCC Humanities Project was established in 2013 through an NEH Challenge grant as part of a special initiative for two-year colleges.
Director: Michelle Valois
Year: 2013
Primary URL: https://mwcc.edu/campus-life/humanities-project/
Primary URL Description: The homepage for the Humanities Project

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