Preparation

During the Knowledge for Freedom initiative, Teagle Fellows spent their junior year applying and preparing for our program. The summer after their junior year of high school, selected students spent two weeks on Valdosta State Univeristy's beautiful campus, learning all about humanities and earning college credit, free of charge. The rising senior cohort of students from all over the South Georgia region quickly grew close, year after year. While many of the students had differing life experiences, their shared time at VSU allowed for unique bonding and friendships to form that lasted long past the two weeks on campus. Once their rigorous summer coursework was completed, they returned home to enjoy the rest of their summers. 

Timeline

As senior year began for the Teagle Fellows, they were asked to return to VSU once a month for their student civic project completion. Some students lived up to an hour away, and yet, they continued to return month after month to campus to learn how to give back to their communities. Students grouped up into teams based on shared interests, and experienced faculty gave them the tools and skills to accomplish this project.  The experience culminated over seven to eight months of work for the student teams.
 Faculty continued to mentor students throughout the duration of the civic service project timeline. While working on the projects, staff also advised Teagle Fellows on the college application process, often helping proof-read essays or provide insight to applications. Students were eligible to request professors write them recommendation letters. Professors writing these letters were feasible due to the lengthy amount of time spent together with students working on the summer seminar, civic service project, and building relationships. 

Experience

 The service learning project experience gave all Teagle Fellows the opportunity to work with a local non-profit or local government agency on a civic issue. Guest speakers were brought in to share resources, inspire, and educate students on types of community service and how their academic knowledge allow students to help others. These teams created opportunities for peer mentorship and collaborative communication between students. Students' leadership skills increased, as well as their time management, organization, research, and team-building skills throughout the duration of their time with the Knowledge for Freedom program. The specialized curriculum and programming allowed students to gain experience unlike their peers, which prepared them to be ahead in future collegiate atmospheres. 
 After working on their projects, students created a professional presentation that was given at the Valdosta State University Undergraduate Research Symposium. These students were showcased and honored, as most underclassmen at VSU do not get the opportunity to present research in this setting. The opportunity to rehearse their presentation together, build public speaking skills, present at a collegiate research conference, and collaborate as a group set the Teagle Fellows ahead in their academic careers.