I recently had the pleasure of visiting Wilcox County, Alabama to see first-hand the unique and life changing service learning project of six UAB School of Business students and their two exceptional faculty members—matched with a diverse group of twenty high school students. This is one of two highly significant School of Business service-learning projects ongoing this summer that is using experiential hands-on learning to truly touch lives in many special ways.
While helping to lead a UAB discussion on economic growth and health issues last fall, I was privileged to meet a group of community leaders from Wilcox County. They urged me to visit their beautiful county to discuss ways the School could assist with their economic challenges. Along with Associate Dean Eric Jack and several respected School of Medicine faculty and staff members, we travelled to Wilcox County and spent a day experiencing the natural beauty and gaining a better understanding of the economic issues of this area.
After reviewing the needs in the area, the School committed to engage our students and faculty in a project to stimulate entrepreneurial activities in Wilcox County. After significant planning, led by instructor and executive-in-residence Mickey Gee, six UAB students (Olu Dosunmu-Ogunbi, Calvin Burchfiel, Daniel Owens, Gabrielle Hood, Eboni Thomas, Lewinale Harris and Derrick Strong) and two faculty members (Nathan Oliver and Jacob Gelber) arrived in Camden, Alabama on July 18th to work with a group of diverse high school students (10 from the public school and 10 from the private school), along with a teacher from each high school. They spent the next two weeks working together to revamp several local web sites and implement social networking tools to: (1) Stimulate the sale of local artwork including magnificent quilts and baskets and (2) Create excitement in the state and region to attract more tourists to the beauty and natural resources of Wilcox County. This fall they will continue the efforts related to online social networking/marketing as well as developing a preliminary plan for a small business incubator. The $40,000 cost of this project was paid by the School of Business—as an investment in service learning and a life-changing experience for 30 students and four faculty members.
Back in Birmingham, a group of 20 UAB students, under the guidance of Professor Steve Yoder, continue to work on distributing $250,000 in grants and forgivable loans to individuals and families suffering from tornado damage. A group of very generous anonymous local community leaders donated the funding to UAB and asked that the forgivable loan program (insert hyperlink) be managed by the School of Business and used as a service learning experience for students. This project will continue into the 2011/2012 academic year.
We are taking our skills and passions into the real world of hurts and hopes. Our students are changing lives, including their own. We are proud! The many fruits of these and other service learning experiences through the School will continue to be reported to you in future messages.
