Shannon Swann will have the unique opportunity to explore “La France profonde” this summer thanks to a $12,000 Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc.

Swann, University High School’s Director of International Programs and a French teacher, is one of 100 Indiana educators to receive a grant this year, and grant funds are to be applied toward a project that is “personally and professionally fulfilling.” For Swann, grant funds will allow her to explore southern and western France, regions she has not visited in her previous travels to France.

Her project description is as follows:

“‘La France profonde’ is an exploration of the historic sites, cuisine, products, traditions, and natural beauty of southern and western France and some lesser-known parts of Paris and the Ile-de-France. After renting a car in Paris, I will travel to Nice, then drive on to selected cities, towns, and villages of the south and west, stay in bed-and-breakfasts (and one castle) in order to interact with and learn from the local people, visit some of the natural wonders of the region, attend cooking classes, and return to Paris to explore areas beyond the typical tourist attractions, attend more cooking classes, and see the fountains of Versailles by night.”

Swann is the latest in a long line of University High School teachers being awarded these renewal grants. In recent years, Luke Crawley, Jake Thurman, and Kirstin Northenscold were all awarded grants to explore passion projects of their own.