Be Part of Duke-Durham School Days’ 25th Year

Sign up as a staff volunteer and show eighth-grade students the possibilities of higher education

A group of eighth grade students tour Duke University, framed by an arch
Each year, about 300 eighth-grade students from Durham Public Schools tours Duke University's campus as part of Duke-Durham School Days. Photo courtesy of Duke Community Affairs

Jenny Levine will never forget the moment that made her an ardent supporter of the annual Duke-Durham School Days, which marks its 25th year on Oct. 31.

At a volunteer training session two years ago, Levine, Associate Director of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), met a Duke colleague who shared that he had once been one of the eighth-grade students the program serves.

Years later, he was back to help give other students the same opportunity.

“He not only took away a positive core memory associated with Duke campus, he wanted to give back by supporting the program for others,” Levine said. “It’s what made him want to go to college.”

That kind of impact is exactly what Duke-Durham School Days aims to create, and why Levine has continued to return each year as one of about 70 other Duke staff and faculty member volunteers.

Organized by Duke Community Affairs, Duke-Durham School Days invites 300 eighth-grade students from Durham Public Schools for a half-day tour of the Duke University campus. Students visit classrooms, labs, residence halls and other spaces that showcase campus life, with the goal of inspiring Durham students to consider pursuing a college education.

A head shot of Jenny Levine
Jenny Levine

Duke staff are invited to volunteer as community guides to escort small groups of students during this year’s Oct. 31 event, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

Interested volunteers can register here until Oct. 20. There will be an optional volunteer training session Oct. 27 at 11 a.m.

All volunteers receive breakfast, lunch and a T-shirt in exchange for helping keep groups on schedule and answering student questions. Along the way, volunteers may even discover parts of campus they’ve never seen before.

“We know that if you spend any time on a college campus, you're much more likely to apply to college,” said David Stein, Duke Community Affairs’ Senior Education Partnership Coordinator and Duke-Durham School Days Director. “Just getting them on campus makes a difference.” 

Stein, who has organized Duke-Durham School Days since the first in 2000, said this year’s version will contain a handful of twists to celebrate its milestone year: An obstacle course for eighth-graders, a drone show and a walkthrough of Cameron Indoor Stadium.

And for the first time, North Carolina Central University students will pair with Duke University students to serve as guides for the eighth-grade visitors.

Levine said it’s one of her favorite days of the year.

“I would recommend this experience to every Duke employee – getting away from the computer and seeing our campus from the perspective of a curious eighth-grader provides a generous dose of appreciation and an opportunity for reflection,” she said. “We begin to see what great things, with the right support and preparation, might be possible.”

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