During the 1st week of June…

I embarked on a journey that unexpectedly changed my life. It was month prior that my friend, Ruth, suggested that I volunteer with Collegetown Underground. With an unsure look on my face, I asked her about it. I did want to participate in more volunteer work and I wanted to have new experiences outside of the volunteer work on my university campus.

As Ruth begin to tell me more, I was slightly skeptical, but willing to give it a try. Everyone I told about it either never heard of it or heard little about it. Despite how it seemed, I was still all in.

At the very last minute, quite literally the next day after the application deadline, I sent in my application to Collegetown Underground. I was hoping I would still be considered even though my application was super late. Luckily, Ruth looked out for me. She made sure that Kirsten, aka KB, would see my application and have me participate.

Thank God she did.

My volunteer experience was like no other experience I had before. I had to stay AND share a room with strangers, complete volunteer work and group activities, AND participate. Lol. It doesn’t sound a lot, but for a young woman like me to be very far outside of her comfort zone, it was a lot.

But… it is an experience I do regret. It is something that I wish I could back in time and re-do again and again. The people that we met, from the “big-tops” to the people in the West Baltimore community that were knee, waist, and neck deep in helping the wonderful people of that side, impacted all of us in a way that no university education could ever challenge us in.

You see… West Baltimore is where Freddy Gray was picked up; it’s where the riots happened. It’s where most people are afraid to go because of what they have seen and heard. Unfortunately, not enough of them venture to see what it truly is: A beautiful and glorious community that are there for one another.

It’s not worth believing what they put on TV.

So, I want to give you guys the opportunity to hear about it from a person who I truly respect and LOOOVVE: Kirsten Brinlee aka KB, the assistant director of Collegetown Underground.

K.B. is truly A W E S O M E. She put so much hard work and effort into starting Collegetown Underground and it has been worth every ounce of it! This program is simply amazing!

 I was able to ask this awesome lady some general questions that you guys would like to know and share it with you.

Check it out below!

T: What is your vision for those inside and outside of the Baltimore Community?

KB: My vision is to create meaningful connections for college students among each other and with their community through leadership development and civic engagement.

 

T: What is Collegetown Underground?

KB: Collegetown Underground is a four-day focused, immersive opportunity for 25 college students to learn about Baltimore outside the classroom. For its first year, the program focused on the history, culture, and systemic issues faced in West Baltimore neighborhoods through the perspective of community leaders.

 

T: How did you get involved?

KB: In August 2014 I started working for Baltimore Collegetown Network and we were interested in creating a new program, similar to Collegetown LeaderShape that would give students an opportunity to dive deep into an issue or neighborhood in Baltimore. I had previously planned Alternative Breaks at Johns Hopkins University and I used that experience to help build the first Collegetown Underground.

 

T: How does Collegetown help others understand Baltimore? What is the purpose and plan?

KB: Collegetown Underground helps students understand Baltimore through authentic experiences. I built the curriculum to build upon each day and to include opportunities to learn from experts from the community. I wanted to provide a strong education foundation over the first two days of the program, before students participated in volunteer activities. I also wanted students to have opportunities to learn about themselves and how their experiences (specifically with regard to privilege and social justice issues) have shaped their lives.

 

T: What other dreams and goals are you working on to get the word out there about Collegetown?

 KB: I manage both the Collegetown Underground and Collegetown LeaderShape programs. Right now, both programs have over 350 alumni who have participated. These group of students make up a powerful force of students and leaders who care about Baltimore and are purpose-driven to make a difference. I am dreaming and strategizing about ways that I can leverage their talents to take on some of our city’s most serious challenges.

 

T: After all is said and done, what would you like to have accomplished with Collegetown within the next months/years?

KB: I hope to build strong networks and relationships with students and community leaders. I want to create a culture of understanding for our students that will go far beyond their four-day experience. Meaningful connections and authentic experiences are most important to me. I trust in the ability of students and community leaders to accomplish far more than I can imagine – they are smart, tenacious, and inspirational.

 

T: What do you want to say to those who want to actively participate in this program? What if they aren’t close to the area of Baltimore, how else can they get involved?

KB: Apply! We will have more information about Collegetown Underground 2017 in the Fall semester. Community partners and organizations can contact me directly if they would like to participate in programming.

 

If you are interested and want to learn more, click here! Additionally, if you want in touch with Kirsten, email her at: kab@baltimorecollegetown.org.

Thank you so much to KB for taking the time out to answer these questions! I appreciate and love you so much!

To my blog family, I hope this was super awesome and sparked your interest to get involved in your own community!

Love ya’ll!

With love,

T.