UA Honors Students Begin College Experience with ‘Alabama Action’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Although residence halls open Aug. 17 and classes begin Aug. 21 at The University of Alabama, a group of Honors Program freshmen are on campus already, starting their college careers with a week of community service.

Some 36 freshmen, along with six upperclass mentors, are spending the week of Aug. 12-16 working at Holt Elementary School. Projects include building an outdoor classroom, painting a mural in the cafeteria, establishing a new organization system in the library, installing donated computers, creating a reading corner and reading books onto tape for use by early readers. The students are also conducting mini-lessons for 5th-graders on goal setting, conflict resolution and computer skills.

The UA freshmen will also begin their college academic careers by earning one hour of Honors class credit by attending a series of lectures presented by UA faculty, keeping journals and completing assigned readings during the week.

Now in its second year, “Alabama Action” was created and organized by Kana Ellis, a senior psychology major and last year’s president of the Honors Program Student Association. The number of freshmen involved has more than doubled over the 15 who refurbished the Eutaw Boys and Girls club as last year’s project.

Ellis said the work at Holt Elementary would continue after this week with students working at the school the last Friday of each month.