A group of Arkansas Tech University tourism students recently participated in a field trip to Little Rock.
They visited the Arkansas State Fairgrounds, the Statehouse Convention Center and the Capitol Hotel as part of the interdisciplinary project-based learning Camps, Conferences and Events course.
“The students are exploring concepts of entrepreneurship and sustainability while working collaboratively to design multiple service-centered summer camps,” said Susan West, ATU associate professor of tourism and instructor for the course. “A community-based, service-learning project further connects classroom learning to real-world impact. This course integrates theory and practice to develop skills in event design, group collaboration and innovative service delivery.”
Among the highlights of the trip was an opportunity to visit with ATU alumna Sarabeth DeVore, who works in sales at Capitol Hotel, as well as Cory Cox, member of the ATU Board of Trustees, and Jaime Land, ATU director of government relations.
The trip and the course are part of Arkansas Tech’s participation in the AR-NETWORK (Arkansas Nexus for Excellence in Technology, Workforce, Outreach and Research Knowledge). Dr. Julie Mikles-Schluterman, ATU professor of sociology, is part of a statewide collaborative effort that earned an $8 million National Science Foundation grant for the establishment of the AR-NETWORK.
Arkansas Tech’s participation in the grant is facilitated through the ATU Center for Community Engagement and Academic Outreach.
Learn more at www.atu.edu/ipbl.
