UAA student selected to participate in 2011 Student Freedom Ride
by Kathleen McCoy |
Of the 1,000 students from across the nation that applied, only 40, including University
of Alaska Anchorage student Lu-Anne Haukaas Lopez, were selected to participate in the 2011 Student Freedom Ride, an experiential educational
opportunity created in conjunction with the PBS series American Experience and the
film Freedom Riders.
Over a 10-day journey from May 6-16, the Ride will be a moving classroom in which 40 college students from across the country will retrace the route of the original Freedom Rides that took place 50 years ago in May 1961. Accompanied by filmmaker Stanley Nelson, original Freedom Riders and others, the Ride will engage students in this important era in our country's history, as they learn about the extraordinary commitment and courage of the individuals who took part in the Freedom Rides. The Ride will also serve as a means of launching a national conversation about the role of civic engagement in a thriving democracy, explore what issues inspire students to "get on the bus" today, and look at what forms civic engagement is taking on campuses and in communities across the country. The acclaimed film Freedom Riders, directed by Stanley Nelson, will premiere on American Experience on Monday, May 16 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS.
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