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Walker Grants

The deadline for applications for funding for JanPlan is October 6th.

The Latin American Studies Program offers Colby students the opportunity to apply for Walker Grants for internships and service learning, cultural immersion and language training, and independent research. Scroll down for application information, requirements, and stories from past Walker Grant recipients.

Eligibility

Preference is given to majors and potential majors in Latin American Studies, although all Colby students may apply for funding for internships and service learning. Applicants who are not Latin American Studies majors should explain their interest in Latin American and/or Latinx Studies and mention relevant coursework. Participants must be enrolled at Colby at the time of holding the grant. Seniors may not use Walker grants after graduation. The minimum GPA is 3.2.

LAS majors typically may apply for no more than two Walker Grants at Colby, although grants made to sophomores for intensive language training are not counted towards this maximum of two.

Walker grants typically are a maximum of $4,000- 5,000. If you have questions about what expenses are allowed, please ask Professor Fallaw ([email protected]). To help you develop your budget, we recommend that you use this excel sheet to estimate your expenses by different categories. There is no maximum grants for honors thesis research.

Applying for Walker Grants

The application form for Walker Grants can be found using this link. Your application should be accompanied by an email of recommendation by a professor in the Latin American Studies program, and sent to Professor Fallaw: [email protected]

WALKER GRANT AWARDEES MUST COMPLETE AND RETURN THE FOLLOWING FORMS BEFORE FUNDS WILL BE RELEASED:

Unless a member of the Colby teaching faculty or other staff are extensively involved in the planning and supervision of students on the ground for the program or purpose for which you are receiving funding, you only need to sign a Release of Liability. The physical health form is only if you are applying for funding for a Colby program extensively facilitated by us with on-the-ground supervision by Colby teaching faculty or other staff.

Colby Release of Liability – Travel_20_24

Travel Advisory Level 3 Petition_2021

Physician’s Report

The travel advisory petition to Level 3 countries is still required. The form will be forthcoming.

Internships, Volunteering and Service Learning

Tell us about the sponsoring organization. Please specify your contact person, as well supplying his or her email, phone and fax numbers. Explain your anticipated duties. Identify your faculty sponsor at Colby for your internship. Keep in mind that Colby Jan Plan expectations for internships are 30-40 hours weekly; our expectations for summer internships and service learning opportunities are similar. Describe the product of your internship or service learning experience, such as a journal. If your internship involves working with Latinos in theUnited States, tell us how this grant will deepen your knowledge of Latino issues.

Research

This type of grant is open only to Latin American Studies majors. If this grant is part of an honors thesis, indicate the date of defense of your proposal, and the director and first reader. If this is for an independent study, indicate your faculty sponsor. In either case, explain your topic and working thesis. If you are planning to do interviews and conduct ethnographic research, explain your prospective subjects, describe the issues that might arise and your plans to address them, share your prospective questions, and detail anticipated logistical issues. If you are planning to do research in archives or using Latin American newspapers and periodicals, provide information regarding specific archives or collections, mention available indexes or guides, and explain your research strategies. Finally, if you are doing research involving people as informants or subjects, you need to apply for Colby IRB approval. Click here for more information.

If you plan on conducting interviews or doing ethnography as part of a Walker research grant, we recommend that you take Anthropology Ethnographic Research Methods (AY313) the semester before your planned field work. The course is typically offered in both the spring and fall.

Honors

Applications for Walker funding should begin with a description of the honors project for submission to the Provost’s Office for $500 worth of funding.

Language Training and Cultural Immersion

This type of grant is prioritized for Latin American Studies majors. However, non-majors may still apply for grants as sophomores for intensive language training. Students must clearly indicate the institution providing language training and/or cultural immersion. Please indicate the number of hours of classroom instruction per day, and other language learning and cultural immersion opportunities that will be a part of your Walker grant experience. If instruction or formal programming is not for the full day, we strongly encourage Walker grantees to take advantage of service learning and volunteer opportunities, or other educational opportunities. These should be described in the application. At the completion of the language program, the responsible institution must provide a letter or other appropriate acknowledgement to the Director of the Latin American Studies Program to verify successful completion. Students must additionally keep a journal of their experience, to be handed in to the Walker Committee upon return.

Budgeting

Please request realistic amounts for food, internet and/or cell phone access, transportation costs including secure transportation to and from the airport, and any additional costs necessary to make your trip as secure and productive as possible. Where at all possible, describe the source of information for each budget item. This is especially important for airfare.

In your budget, also please explain how you arrive at each item. For example, if you need a plane ticket, specify the route (e.g. Boston-Lima), the dates of travel, and the source for the amount (e.g. Expedia.com).

Please share your budget either on an excel spreadsheet or a list as opposed to in paragraph form. You can use the budget items listed below as a template.

Budget Items

  1. Air Fare (and source)
  2. Departure Taxes, Airport Fees and/or Visa Fees
  3. Transportation To/From Airport in US and in-country
  4. Ground Transportation (bus, taxi, subway) in-country
  5. Estimated Meals (Specify the number of days x amount each day)
  6. Estimated Lodging (specify the number of days x amount for each day)
  7. Cultural activities (museums, etc.)
  8. Donation to Non-Profit Providing Internship (if applicable)
  9. Tuition (if applicable)
  10. Cell phone service. We strongly recommend purchasing cell phone insurance if you do not have it. The Walker Funds cannot be used to replace lost or stolen cell phones.
  11. Travel Insurance/Supplemental Health Insurance. You will be required to purchase the Comprehensive Ultimate Plan ($46.00 per month) and, at the subcommittee’s description– evacuation insurance ($9.85), as well as cancellation insurance ($69.00) through iNext Insurance available at the Off-Campus Study office.
  12. If you are a high-need financial aid student, you may apply for lost wages.

Registration

To receive Jan Plan academic credit, you must register for an Independent Study under Jan Plan Selection on my.colby.edu. Under Jan Plan Selection, you must answer “Yes” to the question “Are you planning to live Off Campus?” Credit cannot be earned for any Independent Study, Honors Thesis, or Internship, regardless of the funding, without filing the application.

Safety

Colby College discourages students from studying in countries for which there exists a current U.S. State Department Travel Warning, and requires students wishing to do so to petition.

Student Responsibility

Before the grant funds are issued to students, grantees must fill out and return the following forms accompanying award notification: (1) a permission form, signed by a parent or guardian, to undertake this trip, (2) a contact information form, both in the U.S. and in your country of study, (3) a medical release form, and (4) a risk waiver form.

If you wish to change your plans (for instance, your itinerary) you must notify the Director of Latin American Studies in writing as soon as possible and receive approval. Students who leave a program, internship or research experience before the planned date of departure may lose academic credit and be asked to repay their grant.