AUSTIN, TexasThe Humanities Institute at The University of Texas at Austin has announced the 2007-08 recipients of the Community Sabbatical program, which provides paid flexible leave time for staff members of non-profit organizations in central Texas.
The three non-profit professionals selected this year are:
- Robin Bradford, director of development and communications for Foundation Communities, who will focus on a book in progress about the complex relationships between social workers and the families they serve;
- Stephanie Jarvis, director of the French Legation Museum, who will research the African American presence on Robertson Hill, the site where the French Legation is located;
- Brian Radley, director of Middle School Programs at Breakthrough Austin, who will study the systematic, financial and social-emotional barriers that undocumented immigrant students face in pursuing their college goals.
Since 2005, the Humanities Institute has provided grantees the opportunity to research an issue or develop a new program related to their organization or constituencies. In addition to awarding grantees a stipend of $5,000, the Humanities Institute also matches them with university faculty members who then advise and collaborate on the proposed project.
“The direct involvement of university scholars in research relevant to non-profit community organizations opens up new ways for faculty to put their knowledge to use on behalf of central Texas communities,” Evan Carton, director of the Humanities Institute, said. “It is also a great opportunity for non-profit professionals to take time to reflect and return to their organizations with new insight into the programs they manage.”
Some of the past sabbatical recipients include Gail Rice, community advocacy director of SafePlace, who worked on integrating practices from the restorative justice movement to counter domestic violence in Travis County, and Victoria Camp, director of operations for Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, whose project played a vital role in the passage of House Bill 1751, which increased funding to improve services available to victims of sexual violence.
For more information, visit the Humanities Institute online.
For more information contact: Kritika Agarwal, program coordinator, Humanities Institute, 512-471-2654; Jennifer McAndrew, public affairs specialist, College of Liberal Arts, 512-232-4730.
