Dr. Chris Strunk is a Professor of Geography at Augustana College, and this spring he decided to create a partnership with World Relief Quad Cities and his Geography of Human Issues course. Students in his class offer virtual tutoring help to World Relief families.
Chris’s students have expressed such positive remarks about this partnership. With Covid-safe limitations on in-person classes, the Geography class has adapted to function at half-capacity.
Students will alternate which days they attend lecture. On the days they are not attending, students log-in to provide homework help and play online games with many different kids connected to World Relief.
Chris has always been passionate to tackle barriers of social injustice. From an early age, he has been inspired by his mother in everything he does. As a kid, he saw her volunteer a majority of her time at a public library, as well as lend resources to local immigrant communities.
Because he was able to see the impact of his mothers actions for so long, he chooses to expose his students to programs, such as World Relief, which actively seek to provide resources to those in need.
The main mission of Chris’s partnership with World Relief is to introduce college students to the rich and diverse immigrant and refugee community in the Quad Cities. In doing so, he wishes to teach his students the same manners of compassion, consideration, and drive for social justice that his mother was able to teach him.
Written by Olivia Smith