MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s relationship with the Siegel Humanities Academy at Siegel High School continues to evolve as the university’s College of Liberal Arts engages students there about the importance of a humanities education and being engaged citizens in their communities and the world.

College of Liberal Arts Special Project Coordinator Lucy Langworthy, who spearheads the college’s sponsorship of the academy, continues building on that effort, supporting a group of 40 academy students this spring as they pursue a service-learning project in partnership with a community organizer in Uganda trying to bring fresh water there.

Langworthy accompanied the students on a spring visit to the Experience Lab by Charity: Water. Located at The Factory at Franklin in Franklin, Tennessee, the nonprofit is devoted to helping the 8 out of 10 people who live in rural areas without access to clean water sources, according to its website. Charity: Water works with local partners to fund water, sanitation and hygiene programs for rural communities around the world.

“What began as a simple field trip to Charity: Water became something much bigger than the students ever imagined: they had learned the brutal truths about access to clean water outside the U.S., and they could not turn back,” said Langworthy, referencing the impact of the students’ visit to the organization’s immersive storytelling exhibit in Franklin on the Siegel students.

Siegel Humanities Academy student Arushi Patel, a lead organizer in the effort, said the visit gave her and her classmates an opportunity “to learn firsthand about the global water crisis and its effects on communities around the world.”

“During this experience, we also connected with an individual from Uganda who took action within his own community to address water scarcity and agricultural challenges,” Patel said. “Hearing his story and witnessing the realities of limited access to clean water left a lasting impression on all of us.”

The students then got to work, developing a fundraising drive to gather online donations from the school and local community, while also organizing in-school efforts such as setting up tables during lunch where students can contribute and learn more about the cause. They also used symbolic “jerry cans,” the flat-sided containers used to store fuel and water, to visually represent the daily burden many people face when collecting water.

“Our goal is not only to raise funds but also to raise awareness and inspire others to take action in their communities. Something as basic as clean water, which many of us take for granted, is still a daily struggle for millions of people,” Patel said. “Our commitment to this cause is unwavering. We are determined to see this through — whether that means achieving it this year or continuing our efforts in the years to come. This is not just a short-term project for us, but a long-term mission to create meaningful change.”

‘A different mindset’

The students’ effort to have a positive impact on the wider community — a community thousands of miles away, no less — is the very kind of civic engagement and associated service-learning opportunities that led MTSU to invest in establishing the academy, Langworthy said.

“As AI takes over more jobs that can be automated, we will need people with strong human skills-communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking — the kind developed by studying the humanities. We started the Humanities Academy at Siegel High School in 2021 to help high school students understand the importance of these skills and ways to develop them,” Langworthy continued. “We do this through the Humanities and Fine Arts pathways that already existed at the school, but with only 10 students.”

So far, the results have been encouraging, with these pathways growing to 120 students.

“But more importantly, we are seeing a transformation in the students as evidenced in their response to the Charity: Water tour. They are beginning to see the world with a different mindset — one that awakens them to the needs around them and the skills needed to respond.”

The Siegel Humanities Academy is a collaboration that supports 100-plus students as they explore humanities-based learning and career pathways and introduces them to humanities learning while connecting them with educators, alumni and community leaders who demonstrate how humanities skills translate into careers. 

The partnership has expanded over several years through Humanities Week, guest lectures, service projects and campus engagement opportunities.

Siegel High School is part of Rutherford County Schools. 

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)