Programs & Projects
The Odyssey Project
The Odyssey Project will launch its fourth year in Champaign-Urbana this fall with a new group of faculty and students. 
The IPRH is delighted to announce that Dale Bauer, Professor of English, begins her term as the Odyssey Project Coordinator this year; Professor Bauer has long been an advocate of Odyssey, and we are pleased to welcome her in this new role. The project is also supported by the efforts of graduate assistants Michael Burns, Kerry Pimblott, and Tara Lyons. As the Odyssey Project enters this new phase, we would also like to recognize John Marsh, the Project Coordinator during the first three years of the program, for his significant contributions to the development and growth of Odyssey.
The Odyssey Project is a yearlong, college-accredited course in the humanities offered at no cost to adults in the community living below or slightly above the federal poverty level. The purpose of the course is to introduce students to the humanities and to help them reenter the world of higher education.
The program offers instruction in five discrete disciplines in the humanities: literature, philosophy, art history, U.S. history, and writing and critical thinking. The course is hosted by its community partner, the Douglass Branch Library. There is no tuition fee, and books, transportation vouchers, and child care are also free to all students. Students who complete the course receive six hours of college credit, which can then be transferred to other two- or four-year colleges.
The Odyssey Project is a joint undertaking of the IPRH and the Illinois Humanities Council. Funding for the course is also provided by the U of I Office of the Chancellor and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Teaching the Odyssey Project in 2009-2010 will be:
Dale Bauer, Literature
Sarah Ross, Art History
Michael Burns, Critical Thinking and Writing
James Barrett, U.S. History
Todd Kukla, Philosophy