May 3, 2007

LIVINGSTON, Ala.—Honors program students from The University of West Alabama and the University of Alabama will come together May 14-25 for Black Belt Action, an action-oriented service-learning experience. With UWA hosting UA students in Livingston and allowing them to experience the region firsthand, the project involves educational and cultural opportunities and improvement projects in Sumter County schools.

During the first week, UWA’s Center for the Study of the Black Belt, established in September 2005, will provide numerous opportunities for these students to develop a greater appreciation and understanding of Alabama’s Black Belt. Historians, community activists, educators, musicians, artists and folklorists will engage the students in scholarly dialogue on topics concerning the Black Belt, a region rich in history and culture but rife with economic and social challenges. Field study will include tours of historic towns and homes around the western Black Belt, a ferry ride to Gee’s Bend in Wilcox County, visits to former Native American settlements and nature hikes along the Sucarnochee River.

“I hope this will be a fine supplement to the students’ education,” said UWA Honors Program Director Stephen Slimp. “Education is not primarily about the individual student, but about how the student relates to the world around him.”

During the second week of the project, the students will enter the public schools, eating lunch with the schoolchildren and leading goal-setting exercises and citizenship and self-esteem discussions in the classrooms. After the classroom activities are finished, the Black Belt Action participants will spend the rest of the afternoon working on various projects throughout the school buildings and on the school grounds—these projects may include mural painting, building an outdoor classroom, landscaping and enhancing multiple-use areas such as the library, computer labs and lunchroom.

The seven UWA Honors Program students who have signed up to participate in Black Belt Action say they look forward to working with the schoolchildren and learning more about the region.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity to give back to the community that has been a second home to me,” said Bethany Carollo, a Northport freshman.

Black Belt Action, a pilot program between UWA and UA, responds to the needs of the community and offers opportunities to foster sustainable change. As the program develops, honors students from other higher-education institutions may be invited to join. For more information about Black Belt Action at UWA, please contact Dr. Stephen Slimp at 205-652-3707.