Honors Week of Service: August 10-15, 2025
Registration Information
Registration Opens: May 29, 2025 | 12 pm (CST)
What is Week of Service?
The Week of Service program is a student-led, annual event hosted by the Auburn University Honors College. For the past twelve years this program has been committed 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 additional 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. Participants will have the opportunity to make friends with other incoming first year students while also being led through the week by an upperclassman Honors College student.
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.
Why Poverty?
Auburn University Honors College adopted the theme of poverty 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.”
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 to help participants develop a deeper understanding of the issues surrounding poverty. Thanks to this program, these students are creating an environment of service that is synonymous with the land-grant mission of Auburn University.
Meet Your Counselors
Head Counselors
Major: Biological and Agricultural Technologies Management
Favorite Song: "Let's Throw A Party" by Sammy Rae and The Friends
Fun Fact: I am a farmer!
Major: Biosystems Engineering, Ecological Engineering
Favorite Song: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terell
Fun Fact: I’m bilingual and my first word was actually in my second language.
Major: Psychology, Premed Focus
Favorite Song: “Heaven Sent” by The Steeldrivers
Fun Fact: I have grass turf in my car.
Major: Nursing and Spanish
Favorite Snack: Plain Greek Yogurt
Fun Fact: I live on a farm.
content row
WOS Counselors
Major: Electrical Engineering
Favorite Song: “90210” by Travis Scott
Fun Fact: I’ve completed a half Ironman.
Major: Political Science
Favorite Song: “Runaway Baby” by Bruno Mars
Fun Fact: I am an only child.
Major: Microbiology (pre-vet)
Favorite Song: “Lovers Rock” by TV Girl
Fun Fact: I once had a pet squirrel.
Major: Anthropology
Favorite Song: “I Know The End” - Phoebe Bridgers
Fun Fact: I was born in Germany!
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Favorite Song: “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder
Fun Fact: I have a black belt in taekwondo
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Favorite Song: “I’m Alright” by Jo Dee Messina
Fun Fact: All of my family lives on one street! (50+ people)
Major: Graphic Design
Favorite Song: “Youth” by Glass Animals
Fun Fact: I like to make pop-up cards in my free time.
Major: Chemical Engineering (Pre-Med)
Favorite Song: “Upside Down” by Jack Johnson
Fun Fact: I collect rare Hot Wheels!
Major: Accounting
Favorite Song: “Crossfire” by Stevie Ray Vaughan
Fun Fact: I won a Dunk Contest at an Auburn Basketball game when I was seven years old.
Major: Nursing
Favorite Song: “Yellow Eyes” by Rayland Baxter
Fun Fact: I've spent the past six years living on a farm where we have broken in and trained rescue horses, and one of them now lives in Auburn.
Major: Civil Engineering
Favorite Song: “Maine “- Noah Kahan
Fun Fact: I’ve eaten jellyfish!
content row
WoS Staff Information
FAQs
Each day begins at a different service site where participants will spend 3 to 4 hours volunteering. For lunch, participants will be on their own unless we are traveling outside of Lee County. After lunch, participants will spend the afternoon on campus listening to speakers, viewing academic films and having afternoon discussions in small groups. Most days participants will eat dinner on campus at The Edge. In the evening, counselors will host additional activities like movie nights, bowling, sand volleyball, capture the flag, karaoke, trivia, crafts and more! Follow our Instagram, @auweekofservice, and our Facebook page, AU Honors Week of Service, 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, Girls Ranch, O-Grows, Food Bank of East Alabama, and Kreher Reserve. To stay updated about service locations, stay tuned to our Instagram page @auweekofservice.
While we do have a busy schedule, there are times during the day when participants will have some free time. Usually around lunchtime participants can head back to their living space to clean up and eat. In the evenings there is free time, and we also offer fun activities which are 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 (preferably old tennis shoes)
- Clothes you don’t mind working in/getting dirty
-
Sunscreen
-
Bug spray
-
The Honors College will provide you with a reuseable water bottle and 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 first-year student is eligible to apply.
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 and other reservations.
For those of you who will be residing on-campus, it is imperative that you register for early move-in with the Housing Office. The Week of Service program is among the approved groups guaranteed early move-in privileges. Please register for early move-in for one of the specified dates through the Housing Student Portal.
You will move in early. Housing will send out specific instructions on when and where to get your room key. Housing will send out specific instructions on when and where to get your room key.
Some meals are provided during the week. A schedule will be provided that indicates when and where meals and snacks will be provided. Participants with any 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 optional activities. 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 one 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 2025 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. You can still register for the class after the Week of Service program has ended.
