Ethics in Our Community:

Freedom House Scholars

Freedom House Recovery Center, Chapel Hill

Freedom House Scholars aims to expand the traditional reach of a liberal arts education and engage the university in service to the community.  The program provides the unique opportunity for UNC faculty to teach humanities and social science courses at a local halfway house.  The initiative is modeled closely on the Hope House Scholars program at Stanford University which has been very successful over the past seven years.

The program proceeds from the conviction that studying the liberal arts can not only strengthen job and communication skills, but can also usher in the intangible benefits of intellectual curiosity, increased self-esteem, and an enriched experience of the world.  In the words of one woman who participated in Stanford's program:

“No one ever asked me my opinion before and if they had, they would never have followed that by asking me why.”

The experience is also rewarding and eye-opening for the faculty who participate.  For a fuller description of the experience of students and faculty in Stanford’s program, please click here.

Course Details:
 
Courses will be held on-site at Freedom House Recovery Center.  Just minutes away from the UNC campus, Freedom House Recovery Center is a non-profit organization that runs five halfway houses and serves people struggling from drug and alcohol addictions. 

One course will be offered each academic semester and the topic will be determined by faculty interest.  The course will meet once a week for ten weeks and will be taught by one or two faculty members with graduate and undergraduate students serving as writing tutors.  2007-2008 will be the first year of the program at UNC, but examples of successful courses at Stanford include Philosophy and Social Justice (click to see the syllabus), Freedom and Women’s Rights, and Art and Life. 

How to get involved:

Freedom House Scholars is an excellent way for faculty to engage their unique talents in service to the community.  The program is currently seeking faculty members who are interested in serving as teachers sometime in the next five years.  There is a particular need for faculty and student tutors.  If you would like to get involved or would like more information, please email Program Director, Kristen Bell: kbell05@email.unc.edu. 

Freedom House Scholars is being planned in conjunction with the Parr Center for Ethics and the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education.  It is being funded by the Carolina Center for Public Service through a Robert E. Bryan Public Service Fellowship.