Record Group of UA Honors Students Comes to Campus Early to Volunteer at Local Elementary Schools

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Some 93 freshmen in The University of Alabama Honors College, along with 28 student leaders and two student co-directors, will be starting school early to be part of community service projects at Holt and Cottondale Elementary Schools in Tuscaloosa County Aug. 13-18.

The program is the sixth annual “Alabama Action” project, organized and carried out by UA honors students to benefit the West Alabama community.

“Alabama Action is an extraordinary week of service and opportunity for the freshman participants, as well as the student leaders. By participating in this program, the freshman are able to make strong connections with more than 100 other students that will become familiar faces, study partners, best friends and even roommates. It is an excellent way for, especially the out-of-state students, to feel an immediate sense of belonging and a close attachment to their new community,” said Julie Platten, UA honors student from Memphis, Tenn., and Alabama Action co-director.

A record group of UA students will spend the days doing a variety of projects at the two schools. At Holt Elementary the students plan to paint a rain forest mural to rejuvenate a reading room and carry out a rain forest theme with paintings at the doorways of each classroom. At Cottondale Elementary they will create a globe mosaic at the front of the school on an outside wall as well as paint animal habitat murals along three hallways in the school. The UA students will also serve as mentors to elementary students by focusing on morale-building lessons.

“We hope the connections made during the week will be strong enough to motivate many of our students to continue mentoring the children of Tuscaloosa and otherwise serving in the area.

“Each year we hear inspirational stories about the impact Alabama Action has on the freshman. Whether they are inspired by the level of diversity that they may not have been exposed to before, or by the connections they make with the children and each other, the experiences we share throughout the week are powerful and can be life changing,” Platten noted.

The UA students will be at the schools to eat lunch with the students around 11:30 a.m. each day, followed by classroom mentoring time, with the work projects beginning around 1:30 p.m.

The UA freshmen will also begin their college academic careers by earning one hour of honors class credit by attending a series of lectures, keeping journals and doing assigned readings during the week. The coursework will focus on the importance of volunteering and understanding issues related to poverty.

Speakers will include Teresa Costanzo and a team of counselors from Tuscaloosa’s One Place (formerly the Tuscaloosa Family Resource Center); Dr. Linda Knol, assistant professor in the UA department of human nutrition and hospitality management; Star Bloom, a local philanthropist and UA Honors College instructor; and, Dr. Jacqueline Morgan, assistant director of admissions for alumni and volunteer recruitment in UA undergraduate admissions.

The Alabama Action service learning program began in 2001 when some 15 freshmen renovated the Eutaw Boys & girls Club. The program has focused on several Tuscaloosa area elementary schools in recent years, including a previous time at Holt Elementary.

NOTE TO MEDIA: A media availability time will be held at both schools after 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 16. Directions to the schools can be found at: www.tcss.net (go to schools). Cottondale Elementary School, 205/342-2642, Holt Elementary School, 205/342-2650