Hoa Pham of Ho Chi Minh Awarded Theory-to-Practice Grant from Ohio Wesleyan University

2013 May 15

Hoa Pham of Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, has been awarded a Theory-to-Practice Grant from Ohio Wesleyan University. The grants support research, internships, service, and cultural immersion opportunities throughout the world.

The Theory-to-Practice Grant awarded to Pham supports a project titled "The Unending War: Exploring and Addressing the Relational Remnants of War between Vietnam and the United States of America," which will be conducted in Vietnam. Pham also is a 2012 graduate of Greater Latrobe Senior High School.

Ohio Wesleyan's Theory-to-Practice Grant program is competitive, with submissions evaluated by the university's Committee on Teaching, Learning, and Cross-Cultural Programming and awarded by the administration. To date, 135 Theory-to-Practice Grants have been awarded, and projects have been conducted in 12 world regions, 49 countries, and 19 U.S. states.

The grants supplement a newly enhanced curriculum at Ohio Wesleyan – the "OWU Connection" – that helps students to connect academic theories and concepts learned in the classroom with critical, real-world experiences that prepare them for success and leadership in today's global society.

Ohio Wesleyan's curricular initiative includes:

• The "OWU Experience," a new first-year course that helps incoming students to take ownership of their educations and get the most out of their time at Ohio Wesleyan.
• Travel-Learning Courses that provide students with additional off-campus and international experiences tied to classroom instruction. During the 2012-2013 academic year, Ohio Wesleyan offered 16 Travel-Learning Courses with opportunities to study in Turkey, Greece, Italy, England, and more.
• Innovative "Course Connections" networks that allow students to explore topics of interest from several academic disciplines to expand their understanding and appreciation of the complex and interrelated issues.
• Student Individualized Projects (SIPs) that allow students to conduct independent research and other creative projects, with faculty guidance and support.

In the newest edition of the seminal book "Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges," Ohio Wesleyan's "OWU Connection" curriculum is held up as "a shining beacon of what happens when a campus embraces collaboration in the context of liberal learning. ... This is the stuff of higher education."

Learn more about Ohio Wesleyan at http://choose.owu.edu.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier small, private universities. Ohio Wesleyan offers more than 90 undergraduate majors, sequences, and courses of study, and 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. OWU combines an internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities that connect classroom theory with real-world practice. Located in Delaware, Ohio, OWU's 1,850 students represent 41 states and 45 countries. The university is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives," listed on the 2013 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included on the "best colleges" lists of U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Learn more at www.owu.edu.