Howard College of Arts and Sciences academic adviser Leslie Armstrong, and history professor Annie DeVries were among 11 Samford University employees honored with 2019-20 Mann Center Fellowships in Community-Based Learning this fall. The fellowships, presented by Samford’s Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, are designed to engage and accelerate the work of Samford employees who demonstrate a commitment to exemplary approaches in community-based learning.

In addition to five professional development seminars on the pedagogy of community-based learning, Mann Center Fellows will have opportunities to build connections with community partners, receive support and counsel from the Mann Center, and will be exposed to regional and national academic service-learning networks. They also receive a $1,500 community engagement enhancement grant and one-on-one assistance in identifying discipline-specific resources and higher education program models in community-based learning.

DeVries will use the Fellowship to revise her Digital History course. “My hope is to build lasting community partnerships that allow Samford faculty and students to use digital tools to make the histories of underserved communities more visible and accessible,” she said.

Armstrong said her project is still in the development stage, but will involve Birmingham-area schools.

All the Fellows will submit written reflections on their fellowship at the end of the year and describe plans to implement what they have learned.