Experiential Education at Colorado College Block 5 Newsletter

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Block 5 Week 2

Study Away Fair

Thursday, Jan. 30 | Noon-2 p.m.
Worner Campus Center Lobby

Students can meet with more than 30 semester-away organizations and CC faculty-led blocks for 2025-2026, making it the perfect opportunity to explore study-away options. 

Block 6 Week 1

Student Research and Internship
Symposium

Friday, Feb. 21 | 3-5:30 p.m.
Cornerstone Arts Center

A collaborative event where research and internship participants share their experiences. Come support and learn about what our students are gaining throughout the summer.

The Newman Civic Fellowship recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers at Campus Compact member institutions. This fellowship runs from Fall Semester of 2025 through Spring Semester of 2026. More details can be found on the Newman Civic Fellowship website. 

Nominations are due by Feb. 2. Questions? Email Sarah Elsey, selsey@coloradocollege.edu

Please remind students to submit their applications for all Fellowships for CC’s Public Interest Fellowship Program (PIFP), available on the PIFP website. Fellowships are CC only PAID Fellowships offering meaningful and impactful experience in Colorado’s nonprofit sector. All students are eligible for summer fellowships and all Class of 2025 grads are eligible for yearlong fellowships.  

Are you interested in transitioning a course you are teaching this summer to community-engaged learning, but need community connections? If so, you are invited to participate in the Publicly Engaged Actionable Knowledge (PEAK) Project by filling out this brief interest form by the end of Block 5 (Sunday, Feb. 16). The PEAK Project bridges campus knowledge to community impact by connecting CC educators to nonprofit partners for community-engaged learning classroom projects.  

For a limited time, those who participate in the PEAK Project and are successfully “matched” will be eligible to receive project development stipends ($500 each for faculty and community partners) to honor the time, capacity, and thought-work that goes into developing community-engaged learning projects. This funding is generously provided through the Bonner Foundation’s Community-Engaged Learning Initiative, through which the CCE received a grant. Funds will be offered until grant funding is exhausted. 

Students enrolled in an Off-Campus Block program and are considering withdrawal should be advised that any student who withdraws from a Summer 2025 Off-Campus Block by Mar. 1 will not be charged any program fees.  

Students who withdraw after that date will incur a charge of 25% of the program fee. This increases to 75% of the program fee if withdrawal is in Block 8. There are also possible tuition charges for a late May withdrawal. 

NOTE: The Summer in Spain program has an earlier withdrawal date of Wednesday, Feb. 12, due to the requirement for a group flight booking. More information on withdrawal policy can be found on the Summer Study Away Billing & Finance Website. 

Applications for all 2025-2026 Off-Campus Blocks open on Thursday, Jan. 30, the same day as the Study Away Fair, and will remain open until Mar. 15. All applicants approved for a block away by Mar. 15 will be reviewed for possible aid awards. Late applicants may have significantly lower options to obtain aid, so applying by the deadline is vital. We also recommend that students apply early if they can, as many programs use rolling admissions and programs can close before the Mar. 15 deadline. You or your advisees can review all the blocks available in 2025-2026 at the Global Education Blocks Away Website. 

All students seeking to join a Semester Away program in the Fall of 2025 must complete the internal application on Summit no later than Mar. 15. Late applications will not be accepted, and students will be required to defer until Spring 2026 if their application is not completed by this deadline. The Internal Application should be accompanied by a student’s direct application to the partner-led semester of their choice as both must be completed in order for a student to be accepted to a partner-led semester. Heather Powell Browne of the Global Education team is the primary contact for both CC-led and partner-led semester away programs. More information on Semester Away policy and deadlines can be found on the Semester Away website.  

The time to get Global Education involved is in the conception stage, even before you start to consider a proposal. We can assist you with ideation, modeling, use of site, partnerships, logistical support, staffing and budgeting. We are happy to have one-on-one meetings to discuss your idea or you can either attend a Build a Block Away Workshop to bounce your ideas off others. The next BABA Workshop is Thursday, Mar. 6 in Armstrong 210. Email Allen Bertsche, Director of Off-Campus & Global Experiences to RSVP. Finally, there is a great resource on Canvas. Search for the course titled “Build a Block Away” for resources, guidance, and college policy about off-campus blocks. If the 1-on-1 option is your preference, just reach out to Dr. Bertsche to schedule an appointment to discuss your idea and how it might become a CC Block Away.  

Looking to recycle your e-waste? The Office of Sustainability will be hosting our next E-Waste Drop-Off event during Block 6. The exact date, time, and location will be posted in the next Experiential Education newsletter and on the Digest as the event approaches. Please note that these details are not listed on the webpage, as they often change and are intended for the campus community only.  

The Global Education website has been updated and revamped to be more user friendly than ever. Divided into Semester Away, Blocks Away, and Summer Away, the site includes pages dedicated to current programs, college policies and deadlines, and the billing and aid options students have. There are even pages dedicated to student wellness, pre-departure planning, re-entry, and a page specifically for parents. If your advisees or students have any questions, the Global Education website is the best first stop, followed, of course, by a conversation with one of our staff.  

Earth Week is just around the corner! This year, CC’s Earth Week celebrations will take place from Apr. 21-25 (Block 8 Week 1). If your group is planning to host an event during this time and would like to be part of the wider Earth Week celebrations, we’d love to connect with you. Each year, our office, alongside campus and community partners, organizes a full week of events and programming for the CC community. We’d be happy to support your event and feature it in our marketing efforts, just email sustainability@coloradocollege.edu to get started.  

From Jan. 14-17, over 70 CC employees participated in the Week of Action with 8 community non-profits giving a total of 210 volunteer hours. CC now offers a leave benefit to volunteer in the community found on your timesheet in Banner. Learn more about this new benefit and explore organizations to engage with on our community partner map. 

More information about award nominations coming soon. 

Student Information
We encourage you to review the student newsletter and pass along opportunities that align with your students’ interests and goals. Thank you for your continued support of CC students!