Adetola Babalola spent the week of spring break helping children with their homework at the Norris after-school program, cleaning up a community garden and building furniture for Habitat for Humanity at one of their ReStore locations. 

As a Nigerian-born first-year graduate student of oral health sciences at Kornberg School of Dentistry, he thought volunteering would be a way to learn more about his new city of residence.  

“This is my first time in the U.S. and my first time in Philadelphia, and I thought volunteering would be a great way for me to learn more about this city,” he said.

This year, the Service Immersion Program gave students the opportunity to participate in one of two offerings, either in Philadelphia or Brookwood, Texas, during the week of spring break. The local offering in Philadelphia, called One Philly, focused on sustainability, housing, education and public safety, while the offering in Texas focused on disability justice and advocacy.

“The Service Immersion Program gives students an alternative educational experience,” said Barbara Perlman, director of student activities. “It gives them an opportunity to learn something in class and then go out and apply it to their sites. The program really is deeply entrenched in this idea of service learning, going out into communities and learning valuable lessons.”

Bryce Forys, sustainability coordinator in Temple’s Office of Sustainability and staff advisor for the Service Immersion Program, says the program is an important part of fostering connection between Temple and its surrounding community. “This program opens the minds of a lot of students to the possibilities of what they can do here in Philly to be a good neighbor and a steward and learn more about the community that’s right here in Temple’s backyard,” said Forys.

Participants also met with Temple’s public safety department and spent one day visiting some of Philly’s most iconic sites such as Reading Terminal and Independence Mall.

The program’s focus on sustainability, housing, education and public safety aligns with the city’s vision of the future. “We loosely based the program this year on Mayor Cherelle Parker’s One Philly initiative, which pairs well with our vision,” said Perlman.  

Ana Armendariz Gonzalez, a gender, sexuality and women’s studies major participating in the program for the second year, saw firsthand how all of the pillars overlap. “This week we learned about the different pillars of the Philadelphia community. The main takeaway for me has been seeing how interconnected these issues are,” said Armendariz Gonzalez.

The program is also a good way for students to gain experience and deepen their sensibilities related to their coursework and career goals. “As an education major, I thought doing service for spring break would be a good way to spend my time and learn a little more about Philly’s communities. It will be helpful to my future role as a teacher to learn about different backgrounds,” said Lexi Calder.  

Students on the offering based in Brookwood, Texas, spent their week serving residents at a center that provides living accommodations and services for people with disabilities. “The students had an incredible experience. It really left a mark on them,” said Perlman. “They were really inspired by the work they were doing there.” 

There will be more opportunities for students to have a positive impact in the North Philadelphia community by donating items to Habitat for Humanity for the TUmove program during off-campus moveout. 

As student interest in the Service Immersion Program grows, Perlman says Student Activities plans to expand the program in the future. “We're looking forward to continuing to evolve the program to meet student needs, to give them the opportunity to go away on service trips but also deepen their commitment to the city of Philadelphia,” continued Perlman.