The University Vision Louisiana Residential College, a program for students who specialize in research to impact Louisiana, began preparations for spending the $27,590 grant they received from the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation in November.
Vision Louisiana, which was created only two years ago, is a four-year program open to students of all majors who have an interest in the improvement of the state’s economy and community.
The Pennington Foundation is a private family foundation that “provides philanthropic support to promote the overall well-being of families and communities,” according to the Pennington Family Foundation Web site.
Because of the similar purposes of the organizations, Perry Prestholdt, former director of Vision Louisiana, said receiving the grant from the Pennington Foundation was “a natural fit.”
Vision Louisiana’s grant will largely go toward providing stipends for teachers assisting in the program, who until now were going unpaid for their time with the students, said John Yaun, assistant director of learning communications.
“I think the grant is going to be a great way to get more faculty involved with the program and help the students in their research,” Yaun said.
Vision Louisiana’s 64 students spend their last two years in the program developing a research project that is designed to help the local community.
The rest of the grant money will go toward research team expenses, presentation equipment and student field trips, Yaun said.
The most recent field trip brought Vision Louisiana students to New Orleans to see the devastated areas from Hurricane Katrina and talk about relief efforts with local leaders.
Prestholdt said there are already two student research teams dedicating their efforts to New Orleans’ economic and community recovery.
For the first two years of the four-year program the students live in Acadian Hall together and participate in co-curricular activities that foster leadership and community awareness, Yaun said.
The last two years are dedicated to the research, presentation and execution of projects that cater to problems of the local economy and community.
Prestholdt, who wrote the first proposal to receive the grant, said he hopes Vision Louisiana continues to receive the Pennington Foundation’s annual grant to further the program’s progress.
 
 
Contact Rebekah Allen at [email protected]