The Center for Immersive Learning and Engaged Teaching (CILET), located in Tutt Library, has recently received a $50,000 grant from President Tiefenthaler.
The main focus of CILET is to support the academic endeavors of Colorado College’s students and faculty as they navigate their way through the Block Plan.
“The idea is that it will be a focal point for academic support on campus,” said Help Desk Team Leader Chad Schonewill, who was also part of the Action Team for the Center for Immersive Learning. “Right now, it’s a concept without a location, but that will change with the Tutt Library renovation project.”
The Center will transform into a place for the entire community to gather and seek help.
“Faculty will go there to share best practices, students will go there for assistance with research projects and meeting the intense demands of the Block Plan, visitors will come there to participate in the academic life at CC,” said Schonewill. “Everyone will go there to discover and discuss innovative new ideas.”
The $50,000 being given to CILET will go toward new projects that will enhance Colorado College’s academic strengths.
“The grants are specifically to fund pilot projects which touch on one or more of the Center’s goals,” Schonewill said.
The hope is that these ideas and projects will show the innovative ideas Colorado College is capable of, both big and small.
“The projects should showcase what kinds of things can happen in the Center once we have the physical space for it,” Schonewill said. “They are meant to kindle the imagination of the community.”
Last year CILET provided money for different projects that have really taken off the ground. These projects include an Alumni Climate Forum, an Oral Communication Center, and a Network for Extended Topics, all of which facilitate communication between faculty, alumni, and students. The grants given ranged from $2,500 to $10,000.
“Many of the pilot projects from last year’s round of grants were quite successful,” Schonewill said. “We had an initial amount of money last year for the first round, and now we’re repeating the process for a second year with the $50,000 we got.”
On Dec. 1, 2014 the committee began to review applications for grants. They plan to continue to grant money for different projects until they have used up the $50,000.
“The future is bright,” Schonewill said.
Students are really the ones in charge of shaping the new projects.
“If you have an idea in mind for something cool that could happen in the Center, let us know about it even if you don’t want to send in a full proposal,” Schonewill said.
“I imagine lots of great ideas are out there, but people might be hesitant to propose them because they are too busy themselves to do the work,” he said. “We need and want those ideas to come forward anyway though! The more innovative examples we have, the better everyone will understand what we’re trying to achieve with the Center.”