Students in an educational psychology course collected $2,300 this month to help a local kindergarten class take a zoo field trip.
Many of the young children from Harvey R. Newlin Elementary School in Burlington, N.C., could not afford to otherwise take the trip, and when the class, led by assistant professor Alexa Darby, learned of their plight, the students solicited campus organizations for assistance.
News of the financial circumstances came to light during a class discussion on academic service-learning experiences among Elon students.
Both the RSA and the Chaplain’s office donated $300 each. Other groups contributed money, too, and leftover funds supported a 5th grade field trip to Washington, D.C.
“What is so amazing is that I did not tell my students to raise the money. The only thing I have told them is when you identify a problem and you have the means to help, do something about it,” Darby said in an e-mail. “I continually talk about university, school, and community partnerships – and they took responsibility.”