Spring Break
Honors colloquium builds in Birmingham with Habitat for Humanity during break
Hillary Brady
Issue date: 3/6/09 Section: News
03/06/09 - For most college students, spring break has become synonymous with bathing suits and beaches. However, many University of Rhode Island students are looking forward to using their week away from the books to do something a little more meaningful.
This year's honors program colloquium gives URI students the chance to do just that. The program, called "Academic Alternative Spring Break: Classrooms Without Borders," provides an immersive curriculum about the definition and cycle of poverty.
The 27 students enrolled in the class will spend the semester learning about all aspects of poverty, including the working poor and political, social and community action, Gail Faris, assistant director of the women's center and head of the program, explained.
The group's work is in preparation toward a trip during spring break, which will send the students to Birmingham, Ala. as part of Habitat for Humanity's Collegiate Challenge program.
"Every year in the fall, Habitat for Humanity puts up its collegiate challenge program on its site" Faris said. "Then we choose a location, looking at things like the distance and logistics."
The program, which is in its fourth year, also went to Birmingham last spring. In the past, URI students have also gone to Albany, Ga. and Slidell, La.
"We do try to choose a place where it's warm. Students are giving up enough time and resources, they should at least get to go to a warm climate," Faris said.
For both the group and Habitat for Humanity, Birmingham is considered in desperate need of service. While the program considers the needs of other areas in the country that have been hit with natural disasters, they have chosen to focus on areas in "chronic" need of assistance.
With its longstanding history of civil rights movements and a rocky social and economic climate, Birmingham seemed like an area in need of URI student's help, Faris said.
Prior to this year's trip, the students have studied these particular issues pertaining to the history of Birmingham.
This year's honors program colloquium gives URI students the chance to do just that. The program, called "Academic Alternative Spring Break: Classrooms Without Borders," provides an immersive curriculum about the definition and cycle of poverty.
The 27 students enrolled in the class will spend the semester learning about all aspects of poverty, including the working poor and political, social and community action, Gail Faris, assistant director of the women's center and head of the program, explained.
The group's work is in preparation toward a trip during spring break, which will send the students to Birmingham, Ala. as part of Habitat for Humanity's Collegiate Challenge program.
"Every year in the fall, Habitat for Humanity puts up its collegiate challenge program on its site" Faris said. "Then we choose a location, looking at things like the distance and logistics."
The program, which is in its fourth year, also went to Birmingham last spring. In the past, URI students have also gone to Albany, Ga. and Slidell, La.
"We do try to choose a place where it's warm. Students are giving up enough time and resources, they should at least get to go to a warm climate," Faris said.
For both the group and Habitat for Humanity, Birmingham is considered in desperate need of service. While the program considers the needs of other areas in the country that have been hit with natural disasters, they have chosen to focus on areas in "chronic" need of assistance.
With its longstanding history of civil rights movements and a rocky social and economic climate, Birmingham seemed like an area in need of URI student's help, Faris said.
Prior to this year's trip, the students have studied these particular issues pertaining to the history of Birmingham.
