Week of Service 2023 | Honors College

What is Week of Service?

The Week of Service program is a student-led, annual event hosted by the Auburn University Honors College committed for ten years to teaching incoming freshmen about poverty and showing them how they can serve in the Lee County community and beyond. Each day consists of a new service site, new information about poverty from a speaker or film, educational activities, and optional activities. The goal of the Week of Service Program is to spark a desire for service within each participant and to give them an excellent introduction to Auburn University with the opportunity to make new friends and have the resource of their counselors to be helpful guides throughout their time at Auburn.

August 6-11, 2023

Week of Service Photo Gallery | 2023

Mission Statement

The Week of Service program is dedicated to education, justice, and service. We seek to bring awareness to the causes and consequences of poverty at the national, state, and local levels. We empower students to live with empathy and compassion and to build relationships as their most authentic selves with each other and their communities. The Week of Service is a call to action: to better our community through understanding, advocating, and helping others who need it most.

Follow Us To Learn More About Past Week of Service Events

Why Poverty?

Auburn University Honors College adopted the theme of poverty as a means to raise awareness for both its causes and effects across the state of Alabama, the United States of America, and the world to its students. This program is designed to give incoming Honors College freshmen first-hand experience with poverty at a local level. The program is both enlightening and challenging, developed thoughtful conversation and personal reflection for all its participants. Overall, previous students consider the week to be an “impactful, eye-opening, and transformative service-learning experience.”

According to recent data by Alabama Possible (a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing systemic poverty and its root causes), Alabama is the nation’s sixth poorest state. More than 800,000 citizens, including 262,000 children, live below the poverty line. 11 of Alabama’s 67 counties have poverty rates above 25 percent and the state has a child food insecurity rate of 22.3%. Because of this clear state-wide need, in 2013 the Honors College at Auburn University adopted poverty awareness as an overarching educational theme that supports Auburn University’s mission to directly serve the pressing, unaddressed needs to disadvantaged communities and at-risk populations. In keeping with Auburn’s land-grant mission and with Auburn’s historic commitment to service, the Honors College developed the Week of Service program.

The program is designed to give participants an experience that is both challenging and enlightening. A traditional academic approach is mixed with hands-on learning in order to develop a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding poverty. Thanks to the program, these students are creating an environment of service that is synonymous with the mission of Auburn University.

FAQs

Each day begins at a different service site where participants will spend 3 to 4 hours, followed by lunch on your own. During the day, participants will hear from speakers, watch and discuss films, engage in educational activities, and have dinner as a group. The day ends with a fun, optional activity. Follow our Instagram, @auweekofservice, as we release a detailed schedule each day throughout the week!

While we do not want to spoil the surprise of service locations for this year yet, we have worked with a lot of great organizations in the past and will work with many great organizations again this year! Some past service sites that we loved are Storybook Farm, Alabama Rural Ministries, Food Bank of East Alabama, Habitat for Humanity Restore, and Reading is Fundamental. To stay updated about service locations, stay tuned to our Instagram page @auweekofservice

The Week of Service also includes activities such as film reviews and discussions, educational activities, lectures from guest speakers, and social opportunities.

While we do have a busy schedule, there are times during the day where participants will have free time as well as optional activities where participation is not required.

As you are preparing to move to on or off-campus housing for the school year, keep these items in mind specifically for Week of Service:

Closed-toe shoes
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Clothes you don’t mind working in/getting dirty
Personal bag (such as a drawstring bag)

No, participants are free to drive and carpool, but transportation will be provided for those without vehicles.

No, any incoming Honors College freshman is eligible to apply.

Housing will send out specific instructions on when and where to get your room key.

Yes, register for move-in as usual. If you choose to participate, the Honors College will notify you and place you on a modified early move-in schedule.

Some meals are provided during the Week of Service. A schedule will be provided that clearly indicates when and where meals and snacks will be provided. Participants with special dietary restrictions will be accommodated as much as possible. There will be limited dining options available on-campus during the week.

The Week of Service runs all day with a combination of mandatory and some optional activities. In order to fully experience the program, it is recommended that participants not be involved in any other activities during the week.

This optional class is a 1 credit hour pass/fail Honors College participation course held in the Fall semester. See Course Offering: HONR 1087.

At the time of registering for Week of Service, you will indicate if you would like to be enrolled in the course for the Fall 2022 semester. Honors College staff will then place students in the course. This class will remain closed throughout Camp War Eagle (CWE) since only participants are eligible to be in the class.

Yes, in order to provide this service-learning experience, participants are responsible for a $75 programmatic fee. This fee helps to cover expenses such as meals, a t-shirt, reservations, some activities, and transportation.

For those who are moving on-campus early, there is a separate Early Housing Move-In Fee of $90 that will be charged directly to the student. Students living off-campus should be make arrangements with their place of residence to be moved in and settled by the Week of Service Kick-Off