'School Days' Inspires Durham Students
Duke campus tours held Tuesday, October 30
As Kristin Wright shepherded a clutch of eighth-grade students through West Campus Quad, the youngsters peppered her with questions.
"Are classes hard?"
Read More"Who makes sure you do your homework?"
"Where do students live?"
Wright, an assistant director of Duke's Service-Learning Program, helped field these questions during the 2011 School Days, a collaboration between Duke and the Durham Public School System to give a taste of college life to eighth-grade students in families without college experience.
The Office of Durham and Regional Affairs is seeking staff and faculty to accompany this year's 300 eighth-grade students around campus on Oct. 30. Volunteers receive breakfast during orientation, lunch and a 'School Days' T-shirt. Volunteers must commit to the program from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 30. Register here.
School Days is designed for middle school students who have a strong academic record but may dismiss college as unattainable because of financial concerns or lack of family role models with college experience.
"Over and over, we find that by the time a student enters high school, they have already made a decision about whether or not to aim for college," said David Stein, senior educational partnership coordinator for the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, a unit of the Office of Durham and Regional Affairs. "This program is an opportunity to excite students about college before they get to high school."
Throughout the day, pairs of volunteers accompany a group of 10 middle school students and a Duke student guide on tours of campus landmarks like the Duke Chapel and The Link at Perkins Library. The groups also visit a residence hall for a glimpse of student life and drop in on an academic class or visit a research lab.
Wright, who has been a volunteer twice, said she has found the experience fun and invigorating.
"In eighth grade, college is just a surreal notion," she said. "But you can see these kids start to come alive to the idea as they walk around a real-life campus."