Whittier College has received a $500,000 grant from the Sherman Fairchild Foundation’s Arts and Technology Program.
The award will support and enhance the College’s arts departments by infusing digital technologies throughout the arts curriculum.
With the help of this grant, the visual and performing arts departments will develop media and performing arts pathways through the curriculum for students in three departments—art and visual studies, music, and theatre and communication arts, which includes the film studies minor. Students choosing such a pathway will navigate a curated list of media and technology-focused courses that will fulfill college-wide requirements while also encouraging them to choose a combination of major and minor within the arts disciplines. This will create a focused and media-technology-centered journey through students’ four-year education at Whittier.
“We are grateful for this award because it will enable us to provide our students with unique opportunities to learn digital art skills within a liberal arts framework, equipping them with the tools necessary to enter the workforce,” said President Linda Oubré.
The grant also presents an opportunity for the College to be able to purchase new technologically advanced equipment that will enhance participants’ experience in the classroom. Students taking courses such as animation, film production, web design, and others will benefit from up-to-date equipment, making their learning opportunities more engaging and relevant to the modern work place.
“As students utilize the new technologies in their arts courses, they will be better positioned to take on internships that will allow them to further develop their skills,” said Associate Professor of Art Danny Jauregui. “This is a first step toward a broader institutional commitment to increase our capacity to offer these resources so critical to our students’ career choices out of college.”
