AASI: The Experience

 “Mr. Yates gave Black students an experience of a lifetime- we don’t get opportunities as Black people to learn and be proud of our history. As a young Black girl, I remember really only learning that our history begins with slavery and ends with President Barack Obama with no depth. This was a trip that I left affirmed in my blackness, and ready to take on the world. Since then I’ve been urging Mr. Yates to take us on more trips throughout the school year.” -Janiah Miller – Class of 2020

What are we Fundraising For?

The Experience costs $500 per student. In order to make this trip possible for NKU R.O.C.K.S. students, we are raising money for scholarships that will cover all costs of The Experience. Your gift today will make it possible for students to experience their history and culture.

What is The Experience?

The Experience- African American Student Initiatives Study Away program provides NKU R.O.C.K.S. students with an educational, cultural experience outside of the traditional classroom. As part of the AASI study away program, students participate in a full week experience of historical sites, culture, and museums throughout southern states.

The Experience will take place in May 2021, and we will travel to Birmingham and Selma, AL, Atlanta, GA, Pensacola, FL, and Nashville, TN. 

The Experience started as an alternative spring break excursion that allowed twenty NKU R.O.C.K.S. and four chaperones to visit historical sites in southern states. The Experience now incorporates a three-credit hour Black Studies course that aligns with the one-week excursion. The learning outcomes are as followed:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the history of African Americans within the southern states;  

2. Develop the knowledge and understanding of the various conditions that have impacted and influenced both the individual and collective development of African American peoples;

3. Evaluate how African Americans have shaped and been shaped by the larger African diaspora and other dominated cultures;

4. Represent the various paths to civic responsibility, especially in relation to equality, justice, and freedom for individuals and communities facing barriers and oppression based on race;

5. Apply appropriate problem-solving and decision-making skills and processes in addressing cultural issues through practical learning experiences.

“I decided to go on the Alternative Spring Break trip because it allowed me to go places and see things I have never had the opportunity to do on my own. I was able to see first-hand my (nonwhite washed) black history and it was very eye-opening, to say the least. I was also fortunate enough to go to the beach for the first time in my life. This trip allowed me to see just a small fraction of how big and beautiful the world really is. I went on the trip knowing 1 student and came back to NKU with new bonds with the students and staff.” -Sierra Blair- Class of 2021

The Office of Education Abroad and African American Student Initiatives understand the concerns of COVID-19 and have agreed to move the study away program to the first week of summer break, May 2021. The program will include stops in Atlanta, GA, Selma, AL, Pensacola, FL, Birmingham, AL and Nashville, TN.  As a precautionary measure, any funds raised through the Impact NKU will transfer to the following academic year in the event the program is postponed or canceled due to travel restrictions or risk encountered through the coronavirus.