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HONORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM

Complete this proposal prior to your projects start date and upload it in the UHP Database
(https://webapps.uc.edu/uchonorsstudent). Create a project (Add a new record) in the Tracking Project tab and then
upload your proposal document as an attachment. The deadline for submitting proposals is on the 5th of each month.
While the quality of the proposal is most important, strong proposals are typically 3-4 pages in length (single-spaced).
Please maintain the proposal format.
Basic Information
Full Name:
Jacob Wise
UC Email:
wisejc@mail.uc.edu
College:
CEAS
Major:
Chemical Engineering
Title of Project: Trip to Germany: Exploring German Culture and Identity
Thematic Area (choose only one): Community Engagement, Creative Arts, Global Studies, Leadership, OR Research
Expected Project Start Date: June 14, 2015
Expected Project End Date: June 27, 2015
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
For this experience, I will be traveling abroad to Germany on a vacation with my family. We will be staying near
Berlin for a week and staying in Munich for the final week. Most of the trip will be composed of visits to German
attractions, including those of historical significance (Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburger Tor, and others), and of
cultural significance (the Berlin Wall, the Deutscher Museum in Munich, and others). The purpose of these visits will
be for entertainment as well as to get a taste of the German culture and identity. While we are in Germany, we also
plan to visit the headquarters of several German firms so that I can become familiar with companies I might be
working with if/when I apply to participate in international co-op my senior year.

Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be exhibited in your work:
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area (identified above)
Possess global literacy, including knowledge of geography, history, current world issues and similarities and differences
among cultures
My trip to Germany will provide me with extensive experience in German culture, history, and geography. As I visit
various sites of note in the country, my knowledge of the country will increase. I plan to do research to enhance my own
learning while I am in Germany, which will help to provide my visits with context. As I talk to Germans, whether they be
locals involved with places of note in the cities or just workers in the firms I plan to visit, I will become more versed in the
foreign viewpoints that are hard to find when you remain in America.
Recognize the interdependence of world economies, political systems and the environment
Merely the process of getting to Germany from here should help immensely in my understanding of how systems
between the U.S. and worldwide relate. In order to survive, I will have to: change money, experience going through customs,
become familiarized with the public transportation system and local laws, learn how to communicate with German
businesses, get an understanding of how the individual lives their daily life in a city like Berlin, and many more things. In the
process, I will learn from experience how interconnected different countries really can be.
In addition, the visits to German firms as mentioned earlier will give me an idea how American and German businesses
work together and compete with each other. I plan to visit companies in a variety of different industries, such as
manufacturing and media, in order to get a varied picture of this. I will need to understand very well how business is
conducted in a separate country if I plan to enroll in the international co-op program.
Interact with individuals from different cultures and express a sensitivity, appreciation and respect for the complex range of
experiences of diverse peoples

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Meeting with German people will be a large part of the trip: besides the visits to tourist locations, we will be visiting
friends of family who are native Germans and while visiting the German firms we will obviously come into contact with
many natives who may or may not be familiar with Americans. In addition, the experiences at historical sites will provide a
context to the lives of the people I meet and the ones who preceded them, giving me a better understanding of how German
culture thrives.
Participate in a global society and understand the role of a global citizen
This will be the most important goal of my trip. As an American, my country is very deeply historically tied to the
country of Germany. One of my biggest goals is to become well-versed in the foreign culture and systems of
Germany, and this will help me to become more a global citizen. Prior to this trip, I have never been outside of the
country, so I am looking to expand my worldview more and gain more experience in unfamiliar settings.

3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)

The experience of becoming familiar with the culture and business scene of a country far away from America
helps to provide a global viewpoint for my studies in engineering. Most firms these days are internationally minded,
so being able to meet and talk with actual professionals in my field in an international setting will help to give me
connections and experience. In addition, this experience is especially useful if I decided to pursue a job in Germany.
My goal at UC is to obtain a wealth of knowledge and experience in my field so that I can be as best prepared for a
job in the workforce at a private firm as possible. The things I will learn and experience on my trip as I visit German
firms and get a sense of the cultural identity there, will assist me greatly in the pursuit of this goal.
While I am in Germany, it will enhance my learning to research the activities I participate in and the places I visit.
I plan to purchase a textbook on modern German history and politics online in order to do this. I will under no
circumstances read the book from cover to cover, but going through sections pertinent to my travels and goals (i.e.
World War II, German globalization, and recent political developments) will greatly help me to understand the culture
and heritage of Germany further.

4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity

The most important part of this trip will be the extra work I put into researching and understanding the things I see
in Germany. Without that extra information to give the rest of my travels context, I would just be another tourist
gawking at attractions and not really experiencing what the country is about. I plan to use the textbook mentioned
earlier to give me an overview of the history behind the places and landmarks. I also plan to take along a few
Germans that we know, and their experiences will also give the importance of these monuments more personal
stories. Communicating like that will also help me to become more confident conversing in a foreign language, and
give me more experience with understanding and talking with the locals. One of my major goals on this trip is to
attempt to become close to fluent in German, no easy task, but being able to discuss German history and achievements
with actual Germans will definitely help a great deal to assist in this.

5. Reflection
During the trip, I will keep a nightly journal and post it to my learning portfolio. The most important
content in the journal will be text-based thoughts about the activities done during the day, and it will be
supplemented with copious amounts of pictures and links to better illustrate how the day went. At the end of the
experience, I will curate the entries into a single file and organize them into a pamphlet that includes the most
meaningful or important aspects of the trip.

6. Dissemination
I will create a pamphlet including pictures and the experiences I had in Germany and distribute it with the help of
the U.C. German Studies department. It will be used to promote study abroad programs in Berlin, Munich, and
Germany in general.

7. Project Advisor(s)
Ursula Hayes, friend of the family and German native
440-284-5001

8. Budget (if applicable)

(not applicable)
The trip will be entirely paid for by my parents. The estimated total cost for a family of five will be $12000.