Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE- Forty-four University of Wisconsin-Platteville students spent a portion of their winter break in the Mississippi Delta working on various projects that aided the communities of Lexington, Jonestown and Tutwiler.

The UWP Catholic Newman Community and the Pioneer Academic Center for Community Engagement sponsored the trip. PACCE╒s mission is that through scholarship of engagement, PACCE will nurture a campus environment that empowers students, faculty, staff and community partners to experience, grow and make a difference. It also provides funding for student projects, which serve the community.

Twenty-five of the students were part of the Ethnic/Gender Equality in Education class taught by UWP professor Julie Phillips. The trip fulfilled the class requirement of a service learning experience. Phillips applied for and received the PACCE grant for the trip.

"This year, we are especially grateful to professor Julie Phillips and the PACCE program for a grant which covered the cost of our coach bus," said Dee Bernhardt, coordinator of the trip.

On past trips, students spent the 16-hour drive on a school bus. According to Bernhardt, having the coach bus allowed the students to sleep on the way and arrive rested and enthusiastic to work.

Once in Mississippi, students began construction and outreach projects in the communities. The Lexington group assisted the Rural Organizing Cultural Center Catholic sisters on a number of small projects. A major project was saving a local church from collapsing. The students reinforced its foundation.

The Jonestown and Tutwiler groups repaired porches, fixed doors, organized a second-hand clothing store, helped disadvantaged people shop, and worked on area Habitat for Humanity projects. They also visited local schools. The Tutwiler group even tutored some of the students.

In order to learn more about the culture of the Mississippi Delta, the students visited Mississippi Valley State University, a historically black college and the Tutwiler Community Center. They also visited the Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn., on the way back to Platteville.

On the last day of their visit, the group reunited at the community center where the Habitat board cooked a potluck supper. The menu included local foods such as sweet potato pie, fried catfish, fried chicken and turnip greens. At the dinner, area residents and Habitat homeowners expressed their gratitude to the group and UWP for sending them.

This is the 15th year that UWP students have gone on the trip. "We observed a positive difference in the lives of those in the Mississippi Delta area and the students who journeyed there. Seeing how others live with so little made a genuine impact upon everyone in the group," said Bernhardt. "Hopefully, as the trip continues to educate more and more individuals, groups will continue to make a positive difference through education, service and shared experiences."

Anyone wanting more information about or to support the UWP Mississippi service trip may contact Bernhardt at (608) 348-7530 or bernhade@uwplatt.edu.

Contact: Dee Bernhardt, coordinator, Mississippi service trip (608) 348-7530, bernhade@uwplatt.edu Written by: Krystle Kurdi, UWP Office of Public Relations, (608) 342-1194, kurdik@uwplatt.edu