Students explore a cellar where tobacco is hanging to dry

Breakout Subjects During Spring Breakthrough

Whether creating an app or taking in Durham’s history, these courses offered new learning opportunities in grade-free, relaxed settings

From mobile app development, to planting kale and making pizza on a farm, to walks on the Carolina coast, this year’s Spring Breakthrough courses offered students new learning opportunities, free of grades or prerequisites. In each course the students tried new subjects and activities in relaxed environments and bonded with their classmates. Here’s a snapshot of the four offerings during spring break:

Students in the forest hold up a board that was lying on the ground and examine the creatures underneath
Creatures are attracted to the wood boards placed around Duke Forest. Here students peak under a board to see what they can find.

Climate and Sustainability

From a walk in Duke Gardens, to planting kale at Duke Campus Farm – where students made pizza for lunch – to cataloguing wildlife in Duke Forest, students learned more about Duke’s commitments to sustainability and climate actions.

“The week has been so dynamic, yet it’s also been restorative. I’ve been reminded to take a break and look a little closer at the things around me.”

Carly Hester, first-year student

First-year student Carly Hester, who grew up in the mountains of Appalachia in North Carolina, said the week’s activities out in nature were invigorating. “The week has been so dynamic, yet it’s also been restorative. I’ve been reminded to take a break and look a little closer at the things around me,” she said.

Meanwhile, Alice Chen said it was her first time being close to farm work, having grown up in a city. “I really like the idea of sustainable farming, and it feels good to be a part of it,” she said. Of the trip to Duke Forest, she added, “it’s really nice to see how animals thrive in the forest.”

The group standing a ways down the trail framed by two large trees on each side
Maggie Heraty of Duke Forest leads a learning hike through Duke Forest’s Shepherd Nature Trail as part of the Climate and Sustainability Spring Breakthrough course.
Students explore a cellar where tobacco is hanging to dry
Students peer in the building where tobacco leaves were hung to dry on Washington Duke’s tobacco farm.

Discover Durham: Its History, Music and Food

Students explored places in Durham to learn more about its history and Southern heritage, as well as experience local food and music. Field trips included the former slave plantation Stagville, as well as Duke Homestead, Washington Duke’s 19th-century tobacco farm.

“When we go to the different sites, I feel like we’re in a time machine. I think of the people who stood here 200 years ago.”

Liz Li, first-year economics major

At Duke Homestead, tour guide Grayson Butler explained the history of Washington Duke’s family and his tobacco business, which he grew from a small farm to an enterprise that controlled 90 percent of tobacco manufacturing in the U.S. before the monopoly was broken up by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Linda Daniel, who co-taught the course with Sue Wasiolek, said the students have appreciated learning about the historic figures of Durham. Liz Li, a first-year economics major, said, “When we go to the different sites, I feel like we’re in a time machine. I think of the people who stood here 200 years ago.”

The group standing around a table where to tour guide is explaining the tools of 19th century tobacco production
Homestead tour guide Grayson Butler explains the 19th-century tobacco factory production process: “The laborers’ job was to take the dried tobacco leaves, pull them to pieces, and put them in a sieve to shred it into smaller pieces,” said Butler.
The group stands in a field in front of a 2-story white house where Washington Duke lived with his family
The group stands in front of the house where Washington Duke lived with his family.
Students stop by Durham’s iconic bull statue as they stroll through downtown
Students stop by Durham’s iconic bull statue as they stroll through downtown.

Traversing Trails Around Durham and Duke

In this class, led by Ginny Ramirez-DelToro, students learned more about Durham and Duke by exploring nature and downtown; attending museums, the Lemur Center and the historic Carolina Theater; and getting to know stories behind places on Duke’s campus.

“I’ve liked learning about the meanings behind the buildings.”

Tianhui Liao, junior biophysics major

For example, Tianhui Liao, a junior biophysics major, said she hadn’t known about the takeover at Allen Building in 1969. “I’ve liked learning about the meanings behind the buildings,” she said. Liao said she also appreciated discovering what she can explore more on her own, holding up a pamphlet with a map of murals throughout the city from the Museum of Durham History.

Students walk through the aisles near the stage of the Carolina Theatre taking pictures of the building
The class explored Durham’s Carolina Theater, which opened in 1927, where they learned how the theater played a part in desegregating North Carolina. Their visit ended with a showing of The Best of Enemies, a 2019 movie based on the life of Durham civil rights activist Ann Atwater, who partnered with a local Klan leader in 1971 to help desegregate Durham public schools.
A group of students takes a selfie with one of the dinosaur statues near Durham‘s Museum of Life & Science
Escaping dinosaurs was a walk in the park during a class visit to Durham’s Museum of Life & Science.
A group of students standing in the water observing marine animals at the Oyster Aquafarm
The Spring Breakthrough cohort at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C., observes marine animals at the Oyster Aquafarm.

Explore North Carolina’s Crystal Coast

This course took place in Beaufort, N.C., home of the Duke Marine Lab and the Pearse Memorial Library, where students learned about the town, investigated wildlife and the night sky, and got a behind-the-scenes look at an aquarium.

“Watching this group learn, grow and bond has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my 20-plus years as a librarian.”

Jodi Psoter, course instructor

The coastal location afforded opportunities these students didn’t normally get in Durham. Sophomore Chaoran Yang appreciated the clear evening skies in the area: “After three nights of trial and error, we managed to focus on the craters of the moon and six of the seven stars in Pleiades,” said Yang. “I’ll remember this forever.”

Added Kami Akala, a sophomore, “I enjoyed getting to know (my trip-mates) … as we explored the island together. I think we created a little community pretty fast.”

Instructor Jodi Psoter, head librarian at the Marine Lab, had a similar sentiment: “Watching this group learn, grow and bond has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my 20-plus years as a librarian,” she said.

A student stands in the water and holds a jellyfish in blue gloves
Sophomore Sophia Yang finds a jellyfish.
Instructor Steven Espinosa reviews coding with first-year student Manahil Tariq.

Intro to Mobile App Development

This class provided the basic skills to build a mobile app for iOS devices (iPhones & iPads). All student eyes were on instructor Steven Espinosa, who stood in front a screen that displayed lines of coding, as he patiently explained each step.

“The more you do it, the more you get it, the more transparent it will be,” he told the class.

“I cannot express to you how much simpler coding is today. 100 lines of coding have been reduced to a handful.”

Steven Espinosa, instructor

Espinosa, whose experience includes developing apps for autism research, said that the best thing about teaching this course is to watch the students see the possibilities once they get started. “They see the challenge to make an app, but then they see how quickly they can get their ideas out,” he said.

A student works through the lines of coding during the Mobile Apps course.

Spring Breakthrough Through the Years