Dr. Strmic-Pawl’s SOCY 369/AAST 300 African American Communities courses visited The Penn Center in Beaufort, SC last month with great thanks to an Innovative Teaching and Learning Grant awarded to Dr. Strmic-Pawl by the College. The purpose of the field-trip was threefold: 1) students were able to engage directly with an African American institution that has both historic and contemporary significance; 2) students were able to apply their in-class readings from Sociology, African American Studies, and Landscape Studies to grasp the importance of preserving African American history as well as visiting such locations that do so; and, 3) the students benefited from the trip as a greater sense of solidarity and community was built among all who were involved.
After the field-trip, students were asked to create a photo collage, write a poem/lyrics, or craft a brief essay about the importance of education as well as write a brief accompanying statement about the visit and/or assignment. Check out the students’ submissions on the class blog and see what a worthwhile trip this was for everyone involved.