Raissa Kanku of Honeydew, Gauteng, Democratic Republic of Congo, Earns Theory-to-Practice Grant from Ohio Wesleyan University

2018 May 25

Raissa Kanku of Honeydew, Gauteng, Democratic Republic of Congo, has been awarded a spring 2018 Theory-to-Practice Grant from Ohio Wesleyan University. The grants support research, internship, service, and cultural-immersion opportunities throughout the world.

The Theory-to-Practice Grant awarded to Kanku supports a project titled "Understanding Community Service through Spatial Justice in the Rural Life of Vulnerable Children in South Africa." Kanku will travel to South Africa for three weeks in July and August to conduct her research.

Since fall 2009, more than 900 Ohio Wesleyan students, faculty, and staff have used university-funded Theory-to-Practice grants to complete projects in 61 countries.

Cara Harris, Class of 2018, used a 2017 Theory-to-Practice Grant (TPG) to spend a month in Montevideo, Uruguay, shadowing physicians working in neurosurgery, internal medicine, anesthesiology, and general surgery.

"Professionally, this TPG experience made me realize that I want to be a surgeon," said Harris, a double-major in neuroscience and psychology from Chicago, Illinois. "Overall, this project was a success. It was the real-world exposure I needed to show me that my future in the medical field is a real one."

Ohio Wesleyan's Theory-to-Practice Grant program is competitive, with submissions evaluated by an advisory board of professors, staff, and students. A total of $122,000 was awarded in two rounds to this spring to support 17 projects.

When the grant recipients return to campus, they prepare reports and presentations based on their objectives and experiences, helping them to solidify and share their knowledge.

The Theory-to-Practice Grant Program is part of The OWU Connection, Ohio Wesleyan's signature experience designed to help students "think big" (understand issues from multiple academic disciplines), "go global" (gain international perspective), and "get real" (translate classroom knowledge into real-world experience).

The OWU Connection includes Theory-to-Practice Grants as well as Travel-Learning Courses, internships, and more. Learn more about The OWU Connection at www.owu.edu/owuconnection.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation's premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers more than 90 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Through Ohio Wesleyan's signature OWU Connection program, students integrate knowledge across disciplines, build a diverse and global perspective, and apply their knowledge in real-world settings. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book "Colleges That Change Lives" and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review "best colleges" lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.

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