Dolly Parton, who passed away this year at the age of 80, is perhaps the American icon. Beloved by people all over the country, of all faiths, backgrounds, and political leanings, Dolly Parton represents much of what is truly great about America. She was a star of stage and screen, a champion for a variety of causes, a successful businesswoman and... a theme park owner? Opened in 1986, Dolly Parton purchased a theme park near her home in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, calling it Dollywood. Join us next week as we explore the life and legacy of Dolly Parton through the lens of her namesake theme park, Dollywood!
In this session, Danin Richardson, a Cox Research Scholar at Indiana University Bloomington who assists Dr. Sarah D. Phillips with Dolly Parton-focused research, will explore Dolly Parton’s commitment to literacy and education through one of her most influential philanthropic initiatives, the Imagination Library. Founded in honor of Parton’s father, who never learned to read, the program provides free books to children and has distributed more than 300 million books across five English-speaking countries.
Following the successful launch of our career program Work in Progress, we're offering you another opportunity for career development. This time, combine English practice with practical topics such as American work culture, reading job descriptions and open positions to strengthen your application, and exploring career paths beyond buzzy professions. Practice writing emails, using small-talk business phrases, and making phone calls, and create an action plan to align work with your values and goals.
