The Oakton Experience: Grow
Scholarship and Research Opportunities
One of the primary aims of the Honors Program is to identify and develop opportunities for leadership, scholarship, and service for Honors students. Students are strongly encouraged to take their foundational courses in their chosen area of study as Honors courses and to use their coursework as a basis for academic presentations, research applications, service projects, and more. Students may also enter the Honors Program with existing leadership, academic, and service commitments. In this case, we encourage them to build on these interests within their Honors classes.
A future accountant completed an Honors Contract in Statistics; another student researched child detention in an Honors course and completed a service-project with Oakton’s UNICEF chapter; an entire class organized a trip to the historic #NoDAPL protest at Standing Rock. Pushing Honors projects further is not a huge time commitment, but students sometimes do not know where to start. This is why we are here! Scroll down to review past student work and discover new opportunities.
Honors Student Projects and Awards
At the end of each academic year, the Honors Program hosts a celebration for its students, faculty, and the larger college community. When we were not been able to gather due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we created the Honors Student Showcase to highlight the work of our amazing Honors students. We will continue to update this in coming years as a lasting repository of our Honors students’ work. Thank you to all of our students who have contributed work to the Honors Student Showcase and their contributions to this project and our shared academic community! Learn more about our past Honors Projects, Honors Awards, and Honors Scholars Designees by following these links.
Research Grants, Fellowships, and More
Research Racism as a Humanities Student at Lake Forest College
The Mellon Humanities Fellow and Scholar program at Lake Forest College is an opportunity presented in partnership with Oakton College for Oakton students to join Humanities professors at Lake Forest College in the work of the Humanities Mellon Grant. The mission of the grant is to actively partner with social, cultural, and activist institutions in Chicago to engage with the issue of racism in the Chicagoland area.
The grant operates in three active programing streams each of which enhances the collective impact of grant activities: Racism in the Built Environment, Racism and Storytelling, and Racism and Mass Incarceration.
Oakton students who plan on transferring to Lake Forest College are eligible to complete Humanities research one-on-one with a Lake Forest College faculty member under the Mellon Humanities Scholars Program. The one-year award includes a $1500 stipend (in addition to other financial aid and scholarships through the college), and the opportunity to earn Lake Forest College credit.
Oakton students who are not ready to transfer or commit to Lake Forest may still participate in other grant-related research projects, programs, or organizational efforts through Mellon Humanities Fellows Program. The renewable semester-long award requires students to complete a 35-hour project and includes a $500 stipend. Contact Ryan Walters at rwalters@lakeforest.edu to learn more.
Ongoing Learning and Scholarship Opportunities
Many research grants, essay contests, and summer institute applications are updated annually. While the applications for some of these opportunities may not be open year-round, we list them below so students can include them in longer term planning.
Honors Council of the Illinois Region Student Symposium, Apps due in February
The annual Honors Council of the Illinois Region (HCIR) Student Symposium on is usually held in late February at different colleges throughout Illinois. If you are interested in presenting your work—maybe an Honors project you have completed at Oakton!—applications are usually due in early February.
Richard Macksey National Undergrad Humanities Research Symposium, Apps due in February
Applications for Johns Hopkins University's annual Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium are usually due in February. The symposium was designed to offer students across the country the chance to gather together and disseminate their humanities and interdisciplinary research on a national scale.
Honors Council of the Illinois Region Student Research Grants, Apps due in February
Applications for the Margaret Messer Student Research Grant are usually due in February each year. The grant can fund student research in amounts up to $700!
Scholarships available to help Early Childhood Education professionals, Apps due in August
Professionals seeking additional credentials or a degree through Oakton College’s Early Childhood Education program may be eligible for the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) Scholarship Program. Scholarship applications are usually due by August.
Oakton and Paul Simon Student Essay Contest (Cash Prizes!), Apps due in March
Student Essay Contest: “How my community college has changed my life”. Tell us how Oakton College has changed your life and you may win up to $750. The Student Government Association and the Illinois Community College Trustees Association are giving current students an opportunity to express their thoughts about the benefits of community college through this essay contest. The winning Oakton student will receive a $250 prize and have his/her essay entered in the Paul Simon Student Essay Contest. The winner of the Statewide Paul Simon Contest will win a scholarship of $500. Entries should be submitted by email to studentlife@oakton.edu usually in the first week of March (contact student life for the updated deadline). Email Subject line must say: "Essay Contest entry." Submissions must include a title page with the student’s name, phone number, email and Oakton ID number. (Flier from 2022).
Gandhi/King Peace Scholarship, Apps due in March
Currently enrolled students are invited to participate in this writing competition and they may win up to $1500. The Student Government Association and the Illinois Community College Trustees Association give current students an opportunity to participate in this writing prompt. The winning Oakton student will receive a $500 prize and have his/her essay entered in the statewide Gandhi/King Peace Scholarship Contest. The winner of the Statewide Contest will win a scholarship of $1,000 for spring 2022. See additional details in the flyer. Entries should be submitted by email to studentlife@oakton.edu on or before Friday, March 4, by 6 p.m. (check with student life, as due date can change each year). Email Subject line must say: "Essay Contest entry." Submissions must include a title page with the student's name, phone number, email address and Oakton ID number.
Oakton Foundation Scholarship, Apps due in March
The online application can be found at https://oakton.academicworks.com/. The deadline to apply for scholarships is March 31. Continue to check the system regularly as new scholarships become available at different times. If you have any questions, please contact financial aid at financialaid@oakton.edu or call (847) 635-1700.
Northwestern University's Global Engagement Summit
The Global Engagement Summit (GES) is an annual week-long student-run conference held at Northwestern University that brings together young people (ages 18-28) from around the world who are interested in social change. Delegates bring social change projects they have initiated, or would like to initiate, and are able to develop and enhance these projects further through workshops, mentorship, and engagement with other delegates. Past delegates have worked on waste recycling in Indonesia, a kids' coding camp in Nigeria, and mental health services for veterans in Armenia. Look for the dates of this year's summit to be announced soon (in 2021, it took place virtually from April 23rd-25th). Apply here. Typically due in March.
Summer Research Program at Johns Hopkins University
The Summer Humanities Collaboratory is a new fully-funded summer research program hosted by Johns Hopkins University. This program is focused on work in the humanities and open to community college students. It is funded by the Mellon Foundation and will provide students with a generous summer stipend of $8500 for ten weeks of full-time mentored research. In Summer 2021, it took place virtually from June 2nd to August 6th.
Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference
Annual conference that hosts co-curricular events such as the Writers Competition & Festival, Art Competition & Festival, and STEM Poster Competition and Jazz Festival.
Mid East Honors Association, the James S. Ruebel Memorial Scholarship
In honor of Dr. Ruebel’s service and scholarship, the Mid East Honors Association invites students to apply for the annual James S. Ruebel Memorial Scholarship, an award of $1000 to be given to a selected student. The James S. Ruebel Memorial Scholarship is given annually in honor of James S. Ruebel, Dean of the Honors College at Ball State University and long-standing member of the National Collegiate Honors Council executive board. It is given each year to an Honors student who invests time and talent in his or her campus community. Focusing on academic endeavors as well as community engagement, the scholarship committee seeks to foster an Honors student who invests time and talent in his or her campus community. Application deadline is usually in April (Application link for apps due April 6th, 2024 : https://forms.gle/RdDHYsHuhKW29YkN6).
Archive (past opportunities that may return again):
Virtual Study Abroad in Ghana (via Zoom)
Applications are available for a virtual study abroad course in Ghana. Study in Ghana—on Zoom! Course: "Globalization and Climate Change in Ghana: Impact and Solutions" (1 credit). For more information and access to the program application, contact: Lindsey Hewitt, Professor of Anthropology and Humanities, lhewitt@oakton.edu; Peter Hudis, Professor of Humanities and Philosophy, phudis@oakton.edu; Anika Jones, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Sociology, ajones@oakton.edu; or Katherine Schuster, Global Studies Coordinator, schuster@oakton.edu. More details are in the flyer. Please help promote this to students! Course runs May 16-June 2. Application Deadline: March 15, 2022. Payment ($350) Deadline: April 1, 2022.