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HONORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM

Complete this proposal prior to your projects start date and upload it in the UHP Database
(https://webapps.uc.edu/uchonorsstudent). Create a project (Add a new record) in the Tracking Project tab and then
upload your proposal document as an attachment. The deadline for submitting proposals is on the 5th of each month.
While the quality of the proposal is most important, strong proposals are typically 3-4 pages in length (single-spaced).
Please maintain the proposal format.
Basic Information
Full Name: Jack Nelson Hoover
UC Email: hooverjk@mail.uc.edu
College: College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Title of Project: Daniel Boone National Forest Trail Building Community Engagement Week
Thematic Area (choose only one): Community Engagement, Creative Arts, Global Studies, Leadership, OR Research
Expected Project Start Date: 01-01-2015
Expected Project End Date: 06-25-2015
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
Project Description:
I will be conducting a community engagement event in Southern Kentucky/Northern Tennessee in Daniel Boone National
Forest. With the help of the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Department, Kentucky State Parks Department, National Park
Services, and the combined communities of Corbin and Monticello I will be heading an effort to create new, unique nature
trails in the region in order to increase tourism and boost the local economy as well as support my research into the
accuracies of leisure theory. I will rely on the support of the community to achieve my goals, as I will need able
volunteers to aid in building the trails. This trip will combine direct service of the community with analysis of leisure
theory. Specifically, it will focus on obtaining data to either support or deny the idea that the coming of the 21 st century
has allowed society to shift the social relevance of leisure. I hope to disprove that leisure and laziness have become
commonplace in society and prove that engagement and effort to make a positive change is still very relevant.
Teams of 15-20 will be created and led by either employees of the parks or state fish and wildlife department staff in order
to assure that proper care of the parks is maintained. Teams will be grouped by task in building the trail and will be
assembled with no bias towards ability. Rather, volunteers will be given the opportunity to choose where they would like
to assist, given there is still a need for more help to complete that task.
Giving the volunteers this choice will aid in my research as different tasks require different levels of effort from the
volunteers. It would be helpful data to know whether workers tended to sign up for the generally easier, or more difficult
tasks. However, this will only be minor information towards my research.
Most of the collected data in support of my research efforts will include the following on an individual basis:
- Attendance
- Age
- Residence
- Profession
- Hours worked
- Work accomplished
- Method of Transportation
This data will be collected from volunteers upon the completion of their efforts. It will then be compiled along with
information on total population of the area, census data, and other information regarding the people of the area in order to
derive trends.

These trends will then be used to support or disprove my hypothesis against leisure theory, stating that the general public
is no less willing to help others, and no less engaged in their own communities than they were before the 21 st century.
The itinerary throughout my project will involve the following steps:
1. Conduct a background literature review on leisure theory through the reading of The Theory of Leisure Class, by
Thorstein Veblen and Leisure Theory: Principles and Practice, by Chris Rojek.
2. Coordinate available dates and sites to perform the community engagement activities and conduct my research
with the Kentucky State Parks Department and National Park Services.
3. Raise awareness of the event in local communities through posters, speaking at public gatherings, and advertising
agreements with local businesses.
4. Conduct research in Daniel Boone National Forest.
5. Write a research paper on my findings about leisure theory and its relevance in modern culture.
6. Post these findings on a website I intend to create for my work.
7. Reflect on my experience in a notebook as I conduct my research.
Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be exhibited in your work:
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area (identified above)
Possess a well-developed awareness of literature in the field.
- I intend to read two popular publications (as stated in my abstract) written on Leisure Theory as well as analyze
previous findings of researchers from their writings and journals.
Demonstrate awareness of key weakness/limitations of the research and provide guidance on the most important and
fruitful directions for future research on this topic.
- There are two major limitations of my research. The first of which is the size of the research conducted, as my
pool of people, restricted to a few communities, is quite small in relation given the topic of my research. The
other weakness is the scope of the project I wish to base my research off of. It is quite ambitious and I am not
sure if it is feasible.
Ability to think beyond the just completed research and articulate how your world view has been impacted by the
experience.
- I hope to gain great experience around people who genuinely care about their community, as those will be the
people who will assist me in building the trails. But more so, I hope my world view is impacted by the success of
my research and the proof of my hypothesis that leisure theory is incorrect to assume that the general public is
lazy. I really hope that I am persuaded to think more of the average man.
3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)
A. This experience relates to my development on a personal level. I have always had an elevated
interest in the outdoors. Also, I have always enjoyed giving back to the community. As a result, I
have been led to join the Boy Scouts, volunteer with numerous organizations, and take life-changing
camping trips. This experience would let me further my understanding and love for nature and foster
an interest in community engagement. The experience does not directly relate to my professional
goals, however, it does open opportunities to grow as a leader which is an invaluable skill to have in
the workplace.
B. As previously stated in my abstract of this proposed research experience, leisure theory is the main
associated academic theory. I chose this theory because it was of personal interest to me and fit into
my plans to improve the parks of my region. I happened upon this theory as a result of personal
experience with the idea that my younger generation is lazy. I learned of it through reading of
Thorstein Veblen who argued a fundamental split between industrial and leisure classes. Leisure
theory, as I know it, is the theory that current society consists of a majority of individuals who believe
they arent required to put in what they get out and are by principle, lazy.
The second theory I believe my research relates to is from the work of Hans Magnus Enzensbergers
A Theory of Tourism. Here he discusses the ever changing nature of tourism and how it exists based
on two ideas, social interaction and economic stimulation. I believe my research relates because it

will rely on the social interaction of the community to initiate the service aspect of it. Also, it serves
the purpose to increase the supply of tourism to the area in order to boost the local economy. It is an
interesting balancing game that must take place for success in tourism.
4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity
My unique contribution to this project would be its very creation and every step of its execution. It is of my personal
design. I bring past experience with trail building, leadership, community service, and general understanding of the
outdoors, as well as a background in leisure theory in order to do my research. My involvement will be unique to others
as I am the designer, coordinator, and researcher. I will be in charge, more or less, of the entire operation that will
eventually be my research experience. I demonstrate initiative by creating the social experiment and presenting it to
multiple departments that run the parks of this region of our nation (defined in abstract).
5. Reflection
My goal for reflection on my experience and research is to keep a detailed journal on the events that happen as they
occur. It will be an interesting addition to my research as it will add perspective. It will also serve as a way to
maintain any knowledge that I gain along the way.
My approach for this journal will be to write a page entry at the beginning and end of each day, making sure to
include any external articles in my entries. I will begin my reflection as soon as I complete my reading and terminate
it as soon as I complete my research paper. This will assure that all vital stages to the experience are included.
Also, I will write a reflective essay, based off of my journals to be submitted through the honors database and
document the experience in my learning portfolio.
6. Dissemination
As briefly stated in my abstract, I intend to take the findings of my research and post them on a website I intend to
design specifically for my future work. I also intend to submit my findings to the American Journal of Sociology. I
believe it would be an interesting addition to the research commonly found there and would be most appreciated by
them, if appreciated at all.
I would also like to present my findings to the community here at the University of Cincinnati by sending my research
to the UC Magazine and by proposing to the directors of the Undergraduate Research Conference here on campus.
7. Project Advisor(s)
Lawrence Lowe, Section Supervisor, Forest Resources Section, Kentucky Division of Forestry
larry.lowe@ky.gov
(502)-564-2860 x 103

8. Budget (if applicable)

All tools and supplies would be provided by the State Parks Department Public Relations Division. There would be no
budget able expenses to report to the University of Cincinnati.