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At Colby, the January Program is the “1” in the 4-1-4 calendar—a month-long term for focused or independent study that also is ideal for students interested in taking internships. Colby was the first college to integrate a Jan Plan into an existing semester system, in 1961-62, and since then more than 400 other colleges have adopted similar schedules. Last year students chose among 76 courses offered on campus, including Screenwriting; Hunger, Poverty, and Population; Blacksmithing; and Israelis and Palestinians-–Conflict and Accommodation. An American studies Jan Plan course, American Independents: Their Art and Production, studied independent films on campus and then spent 10 days at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. In addition, hundreds of students arranged independent study or internships.
 
Some Recent Jan Plan Internships
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Comedy Central, New York, N.Y.
Maryland State House, Annapolis, Md.
Teach For America, Baton Rouge, La.
Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Albuquerque, N.M.
Sotheby’s, New York, N.Y.
Littleton Police Department, Littleton, Mass.
Elevenses Farm, Rougemont, N.C.
New England Patriots, Foxboro, Mass.
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Cotter Union, Colby's student center
Messan Jordan Benissan, a mester drummer from Togo, leads an African drumming Jan Plan course
Jan Plan students can take blacksmithing or woodworking courses at the Colby-Hume center