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ACT with Honors, the newest student-led program in the Honors College, brings students together to build a strong culture of service and community engagement. This cocurricular program builds upon and extends the college’s signature Week of Service, which since 2014 has taken place every August for up to 100 incoming students.  

Founded by former Week of Service head counselors and Honors staff, the program advances the Honors College’s mission of opportunity, purpose and community while more fully embedding the August Week of Service program into the Honors experience.

The mission of ACT with Honors is to foster a sustained culture of service and community engagement among Honors College students by providing meaningful opportunities for community involvement, reflection and leadership development throughout the academic year. The program also deepens partnerships between the Honors College and local nonprofits while also providing opportunities for students to learn about the causes and needs that their service activities address.

A group of students sits around a large wooden table in a warmly lit room, listening to one person speaking at the head of the table. The room features a chandelier, framed photos on the walls, and a decorated mantel with fall‑themed items. Papers, drinks, and snacks are spread across the table.

Inspiration and leadership

Connor Waters, a junior majoring in biological and agricultural technology management, served as a 2025 Week of Service head counselor and developed ACT with Honors. Waters said the Week of Service shaped his time in the Honors College and inspired him to explore other ways to bring community service opportunities to honors students.

“It showed me the power of service, service learning, reflection and community when they’re done intentionally,” Waters said.

Waters created ACT with Honors as “a way to stay engaged with the same drive and values that make the Week of Service so meaningful,” he said.

Waters serves as lead facilitator, and he is joined by associate facilitator Emily Pouder, a senior majoring in political science and international studies. Pouder previously worked as a 2024 Week of Service head counselor and the 2025 Week of Service intern.

“Ultimately, we want to make a change in our community, and I think this program is a great step toward making that change,” Pouder said.

Together, they lead a team of eight facilitators. When developing the leadership structure for this program Waters believed it to be important that the facilitators were not just Week of Service alumni, but also students who did not participate in the week.

The program uses a leadership structure modeled after the “Circle Way” methodology created by authors and mentors Christina Baldwin and Ann Linnea. Under this model, facilitators share responsibilities and rotate tasks to maintain a collaborative and inclusive environment.

Four people stand inside a commercial kitchen in front of a large stainless‑steel refrigerator and freezer unit. The group is casually posed, with boxes and kitchen equipment visible on the counters and shelves behind them.

the architecture of service

The program centers on three pillars — advocate, connect and transform — which form the ACT acronym.

Through the advocate pillar, ACT facilitators organize monthly service events and build ongoing service partnerships throughout the Auburn and Opelika community. Participants have played basketball and created arts and crafts with the Boys and Girls Club of East Alabama, supported weekly packing shifts with the Auburn University Campus Kitchen and hosted Auburn’s first‑ever Jingle Bell Run benefiting the Arthritis Foundation.

The connect pillar focuses on building meaningful relationships among participants, community partners and campus collaborators. Facilitators lead monthly “fire circles” and other intentional gatherings designed to help Honors students form deeper connections, reflect together and support one another throughout their service journey.

The transform pillar drives the broader mission of ACT with Honors by deepening students’ understanding of service, equity and community impact. Facilitators bring in speakers whose work centers on nonprofit leadership and poverty alleviation, exposing students to real-world perspectives that challenge and inspire. Looking ahead, this pillar will expand beyond campus through visits to museums and historical sites that illuminate the social issues students encounter in their service work.

ACT with Honors creates ongoing opportunities for students to serve campus and the broader community while giving facilitators hands-on experience in planning and leading service efforts. By building strong partnerships with local organizations, the program strengthens the Honors College’s connection to the area.

Maggie Rogers, Honors College student programs coordinator, oversees ACT with Honors and supports its student-led goals.

“I am excited for our students to see the fruits of their labor and for them to know that they are making an impact on our community,” Rogers said.

ACT with Honors continues to build a strong foundation within the Honors College by cultivating a culture of care, civic responsibility and peer mentorship. Honors students interested in learning more or joining the program are encouraged to seek additional information on the group’s AUInvolve page.