MOck self-designed experiential learning proposal
Basic Information
Full Name: Lance Remington Weber
UC Email: [email protected]
College: College of Engineering and Applied Science
Major: Chemical Engineering
Title of Project: Government and Politics in Europe
Thematic Area (choose only one): Community Engagement, Creative Arts, Global Studies, Leadership, OR Research
Expected Project Start Date: May 3, 2014
Expected Project End Date: May 11, 2014
Project Information
I want to travel to England to immerse myself in the culture as well as learn about the economics, politics, and government there. From a young age I was exposed to politics in my household and developed an interest in the subject. Living in the United States and seeing economic shifts, many times as a result of governmental involvement, I have been instilled with the belief that the lesser influence the government has on society the better off the country will be. That being said, media has portrayed England and Europe as a whole as a portion of the globe that really focuses on the people and their needs. The government is designed to support its citizens more than the government in the United States, although the US is starting to shift towards European government in the sense of being more engaged with society. Because of this shift I am extremely interested in delving into the governmental structure of England to gain insight on what the US could mirror in the coming years. I plan to visit the British Library to conduct on-site research regarding the government established in England. Once I have spent two days reading and absorbing information, I will attend meetings of Parliament in the public gallery while it is in session. However, rather than being just a bystander this whole trip, I want to engage with people living there during such time as eating at a restaurant and experience the culture in England. Learning from the people themselves about how society works in England will be what I think one of the most important aspects of my study. I also want to explore Westminster, London and the area known as Whitehall where the Prime Minister is based as well as other government departments.
Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be exhibited in your work:
I want to learn about the structure of the government in England and actively see how an entity such as Parliament within the government functions. Secondly, I will pursue engagement with the people themselves who live their days in England. I desire first-hand experience in social interactions and hope to learn about things I may not glean from a book or from a member of Parliament’s elocution. The last thing I hope to learn from this trip is how England and the United States can work together, using what works in each system, to better themselves.
Reading works related to government structure in England will be paramount. As such I will read through the Constitution of the United Kingdom to gain a better insight on the overall duties and rule of law within England. Simply put this will be the groundwork for later exploration of governing and interaction among Parliament and between it and the people.
B.
I also plan to sift through gov.uk to learn about specific people who hold offices as well as specifics in the running of the government. Like bills passed in the United States, so is legislation in England through Parliament. I plan to take information I learn about the running of the government and use it when I run for office later in my life once I have established a professional reputation.
Because of the cost and my desire to complete my study on my own, I will be venturing to England alone. As a result I will have to motivate myself to get out and accomplish what I want to get done during my time there. Although my parents originally introduced me to politics and government, I have developed a passion to seek out new perspectives and see how their implementation in government can work to better a country. Although I cannot handle the expenses incurred by this trip alone, I plan to develop my budget myself and allocate money appropriately so that I don’t have to worry about money during my time in England.
Because I will be traveling alone I will have plenty of time to reflect on my daily experiences and interactions. I shall keep a daily journal of what I did each day and 2-3 things I learned specifically about England’s government and politics. As I reflect I want to delve into the differences between the US and England and thoughtfully consider what laws and approaches to societal interaction can work in a thriving country.
Once I return from England I plan to contact the government teacher from my old high school in Liberty Township and work out a day or few days where I can visit their class and discuss my findings. I want to talk about the pros and cons I discovered in England’s government and provide all the information I can to help the students formulate their own ideas about government. While I attended Lakota East High School, many of the students either didn’t care about how the country is run or simply were not informed. By speaking in their classroom settings I hope to provide some semblance of information that they can use to become knowledgeable in the subject and perhaps spark a passion in them like my parents did for me.
André Durham ([email protected], 513-556-6213)
$ per person
Hotel
$433.44
Airfare
$450.00
Food
$602.00
Transportation
$120.40
Miscellaneous
$344.00
TOTAL
$1949.84
Full Name: Lance Remington Weber
UC Email: [email protected]
College: College of Engineering and Applied Science
Major: Chemical Engineering
Title of Project: Government and Politics in Europe
Thematic Area (choose only one): Community Engagement, Creative Arts, Global Studies, Leadership, OR Research
Expected Project Start Date: May 3, 2014
Expected Project End Date: May 11, 2014
Project Information
- Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
I want to travel to England to immerse myself in the culture as well as learn about the economics, politics, and government there. From a young age I was exposed to politics in my household and developed an interest in the subject. Living in the United States and seeing economic shifts, many times as a result of governmental involvement, I have been instilled with the belief that the lesser influence the government has on society the better off the country will be. That being said, media has portrayed England and Europe as a whole as a portion of the globe that really focuses on the people and their needs. The government is designed to support its citizens more than the government in the United States, although the US is starting to shift towards European government in the sense of being more engaged with society. Because of this shift I am extremely interested in delving into the governmental structure of England to gain insight on what the US could mirror in the coming years. I plan to visit the British Library to conduct on-site research regarding the government established in England. Once I have spent two days reading and absorbing information, I will attend meetings of Parliament in the public gallery while it is in session. However, rather than being just a bystander this whole trip, I want to engage with people living there during such time as eating at a restaurant and experience the culture in England. Learning from the people themselves about how society works in England will be what I think one of the most important aspects of my study. I also want to explore Westminster, London and the area known as Whitehall where the Prime Minister is based as well as other government departments.
Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be exhibited in your work:
- Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area (identified above)
I want to learn about the structure of the government in England and actively see how an entity such as Parliament within the government functions. Secondly, I will pursue engagement with the people themselves who live their days in England. I desire first-hand experience in social interactions and hope to learn about things I may not glean from a book or from a member of Parliament’s elocution. The last thing I hope to learn from this trip is how England and the United States can work together, using what works in each system, to better themselves.
- Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)
Reading works related to government structure in England will be paramount. As such I will read through the Constitution of the United Kingdom to gain a better insight on the overall duties and rule of law within England. Simply put this will be the groundwork for later exploration of governing and interaction among Parliament and between it and the people.
B.
I also plan to sift through gov.uk to learn about specific people who hold offices as well as specifics in the running of the government. Like bills passed in the United States, so is legislation in England through Parliament. I plan to take information I learn about the running of the government and use it when I run for office later in my life once I have established a professional reputation.
- Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity
Because of the cost and my desire to complete my study on my own, I will be venturing to England alone. As a result I will have to motivate myself to get out and accomplish what I want to get done during my time there. Although my parents originally introduced me to politics and government, I have developed a passion to seek out new perspectives and see how their implementation in government can work to better a country. Although I cannot handle the expenses incurred by this trip alone, I plan to develop my budget myself and allocate money appropriately so that I don’t have to worry about money during my time in England.
- Reflection
Because I will be traveling alone I will have plenty of time to reflect on my daily experiences and interactions. I shall keep a daily journal of what I did each day and 2-3 things I learned specifically about England’s government and politics. As I reflect I want to delve into the differences between the US and England and thoughtfully consider what laws and approaches to societal interaction can work in a thriving country.
- Dissemination
Once I return from England I plan to contact the government teacher from my old high school in Liberty Township and work out a day or few days where I can visit their class and discuss my findings. I want to talk about the pros and cons I discovered in England’s government and provide all the information I can to help the students formulate their own ideas about government. While I attended Lakota East High School, many of the students either didn’t care about how the country is run or simply were not informed. By speaking in their classroom settings I hope to provide some semblance of information that they can use to become knowledgeable in the subject and perhaps spark a passion in them like my parents did for me.
- Project Advisor (list the person’s name, title, and contact information)
André Durham ([email protected], 513-556-6213)
- Budget (if applicable)
$ per person
Hotel
$433.44
Airfare
$450.00
Food
$602.00
Transportation
$120.40
Miscellaneous
$344.00
TOTAL
$1949.84