Stories of Courage: The Odyssey Project

Badger Talks Podcast

In a continuation of exploring The Odyssey Project, Buzz Kemper talks with director Emily Auerbach, and Odyssey Project alums Hezouwe Walada and Rene Robinson about their stories of courage. The UW-Odyssey Project offers University of Wisconsin-Madison humanities classes for adult students facing economic barriers to college. The majority of students that participate in the Odyssey Course are from racial and ethnic minority groups (~90%) and are often overcoming the obstacles of single parenthood, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, incarceration, depression, and domestic abuse. Odyssey students report transformative outcomes, and some have even moved from homelessness to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Students also say that they read more to their children, feel that they are better parents and advocates for their children in school, have more hope about their own futures, and are more likely to vote and become involved in their communities.