Incoming Rice students make Houston home through service
Urban Immersion gets students out into the community

BY JESSICA STARK
Rice News staff

Forty-six incoming Rice University freshmen will arrive in Houston a week before orientation so they can venture out into the community and perform direct-service projects, such as building houses, working with children and feeding the hungry. As part of the Rice Community Involvement Center’s Urban Immersion program, the students will work with many local service organizations, including Habitat for Humanity and Hermann Park Conservancy.

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	Urban Immersion is an intensive, service-oriented program aimed at introducing students to Houston through cultural experiences and service opportunities, such as building houses, working with children and feeding the hungry.

Urban Immersion is an intensive, service-oriented program aimed at introducing students to Houston and the service opportunities that exist. The program supports Rice’s Vision for the Second Century by fully engaging students in the partnership between the university and Houston.

The students will spend their days volunteering with local agencies, such as The Beacon, Casa de Esperanza, Small Steps and the SPCA, and taking in lectures to learn about important local social issues. The students will spend their evenings experiencing all that Houston has to offer. They will enjoy shows at Miller Outdoor Theatre, take an international folk dancing class, sample local cuisine and tour Houston’s museums, among other activities.

Established in 1995, the program continues to grow, last year doubling in size to increase its reach. Two six-day sessions are now offered for incoming students to allow more flexibility and encourage more students to participate. Also, for the third year in a row, Rice is able to offer the program free of charge to the students. All participants need to pay for is their transportation to Houston and a deposit, which is refunded upon completion of the program.

In keeping with the spirit of the program, the students will live together in the communities they serve. This year’s program will be housed in Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Houston. This is an off-campus experience, and participants will have safe and secure, but simple, living conditions. Meals will be taken together as a group, and many dinners will be out in Houston so students can sample the ethnic and culinary diversity of the city.

Supported by Rice’s Center for Civic Engagement, all Community Involvement Center programs are based on three components: service, education and reflection. In addition to their direct service during Urban Immersion, participants will have short readings about the agencies and social issues and have opportunities to meet local experts and staff from the agencies for group discussions. Evenings will conclude with group reflections. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts and feelings with the group as a way of processing each day’s events.