Auburn: 'Urban Studio' Develops Downtown

Bahm Now: "Located in downtown Birmingham, the Auburn University Urban Studio is a teaching & outreach program of Auburn’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction. The program gives third- and fifth-year students the opportunity to engage in real world community projects throughout the city of Birmingham ... Since the program’s inception, the Urban Studio has worked on dozens of project-specific studies in Birmingham, including master plans for Lakeview, revitalization plans for College Hills and Graymont, housing studies in Avondale & Midtown and much more."

"Admission to the program is competitive—only 15 students are admitted each year ... Fifth-year students in the Urban Studio typically have the opportunity to work on an individual project, as part of a larger collective study. At the inception of the study, the cohort examines the project and comes up with a set of uses that are needed in the district—housing, health, schools, etc. Within that project, students craft a large-scale plan that the Urban Studio can share with developers and shareholders in the community."

"The current third-year students are examining the feasibility of transforming the Cobb Lane area into a new arts district for Birmingham. The one-block cobblestone street could be a vibrant home for new art studios and galleries, accompanied by coffee + tea shops. Meanwhile, the fifth-year students are studying the neighborhood around McLendon Park, in order to better utilize Legion Field and the other amenities in the community."

A Place Beyond: Gap Year in the Wild

The Student Life: "A startup that seeks to provide an in-person, community-focused academic experience for college students in the wilderness, A Place Beyond (APB) rents out and converts campgrounds into college campuses where students from around the country can apply to learn and live for the semester ... APB participants are enrolled full-time at their respective universities but pay APB for room and board. Participants are tested for COVID-19 weekly and were quarantined upon arrival. Together, they live in cabins, eat meals together and are free to explore around the converted campground when they are not doing work."

"Participants are also paired with mentors, who are paid staff members typically in their 20s, to monitor their academic success and overall program experience. In addition to these check-ins, mentors run optional workshops, activities and expeditions throughout the semester."

Pitzer student Tatiana Wells comments: “Everybody goes to different colleges, which I wasn’t sure about how that would work out, but honestly, it’s not that different from having a different major than your friend at the same school. We all get up, have breakfast and then you have the whole day to do work or go bouldering or go mountain biking. Kids take trips to the lake and go cliff jumping; we can cook, we do movie nights. If you want to play ultimate frisbee, you put it in the Slack and get a team together, because someone is always down to hang out. If you need a quiet place to work, the entire campus has really good WiFi, and it’s really nice to be outside.”

Campus Takeovers: Unscripted Virtual Tours

University Business: "High schools students who want to see colleges and universities up close must largely view them through a set of scripted virtual tours. But what if they could get a glimpse of campus from an insider, someone who could give them the straight dirt – key pieces of not-so-filtered information? It’s happening, thanks to college-age students who are going live on Instagram (@NSHSS) and giving their take on the unique places and happenings that may not be seen on those university virtual tours. Called 'Campus Takeovers,' It’s part of a new project launched by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)."

"Two spots have already been done by students – Jay Farrel at the Florida Institute of Technology and Lauren Marquez of the University of California, Riverside. Next up are visits Thursday to Colorado State, Friday to Cornell, Monday to St. Michael’s College and next Friday to Florida Southern. The NSHSS plans to continue them as long as its student members are contributing."

"These are not run-of-the-mill virtual tours or strict walkarounds of the exteriors of campus buildings. These are phone-driven Instagram takes, often with very different looks and commentary." Karen Kane of NSHSS comments: “It’s a little raw. It’s a student or two walking around with their phone in their hand, visiting the points on their campus and talking about it. It’s a little bit more authentic than what you might find from a canned marketing video.”