Howard W. Hewitt - The Present Indiana project, a summer internship funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., got underway May 7 with nine students.

You can learn more about the project and look at last year's student efforts by going to the program's page on our website.

I assist David Clapp, Director of Off-Campus Studies and International Students, in overseeing the program. It's a lot of fun to work with the students as they conduct research into Indiana history and culture. Each student has a faculty or staff mentor for the eight-week internship.

One of the great things about the program is how the young men learn about each other's projects. We also plan a few road trips to visit significant or interesting Indiana locations.

We'll have the students offer updates over the next eight weeks on this blog to share their progress. We'll have photos and introductions to the nine students on the Present Indiana page yet this week.

The past two years' projects have ranged from New Harmony to Milan from the Wabash River to the Bridgeton covered bridge. This summer students will tackle German immigration to Indiana, Indiana wineries, hiking trails and much more.

The blog entry below come from last summer. We're kicking off the 2007 PIP season today. Be sure to check back to see how our students are doing!