Community Champion: Stacie Freeman

MCKENZIE, Tenn. — Stacie Freeman is a professor at Bethel University and leads a local group that is making a global impact.

“Global Citizen Adventure Corps is a 501c3 nonprofit based in Dresden, Tennessee and it exists to provide scholarship opportunities to students mostly in rural northwest Tennessee who want to travel with BU global studies,” shared Professor Stacie Freeman.

Freeman says global studies and Global Citizen Adventure Corps were born right here at home.

“So it all started when we were walking dogs at the Humane Society here in Carroll County and helping Habitat for Humanity build houses,” Freeman explained.

However, the students wanted to give and do more. It evolved from a program that was focused on local service into one that also included international service.

“Our first trip was to Costa Rica, and that trajectory continued until 2016, where we would volunteer internationally over our spring break here at Bethel,” Freeman shared.

It was also in 2016 that Bethel opened the door for the community, high school students, and students at other universities to participate in their program.

“In 2021, we had a group from Dresden high school traveling with us to Costa Rica in March for their spring break and a tornado demolished our hometown,” Freeman recalled. “I thought to myself, I cannot let these students or these families or this community pay for these kids to go to Costa Rica and volunteer at an animal rescue center when our hometown is in shambles.”

That’s when Freeman began asking for donations.

“Those friends of mine came through and it really inspired me beyond that to, you know, continue pursue seeking donors to support this program,” Freeman said.

They were able to start providing scholarships to students. However, their scholarship program is needs-based and the students must meet certain criteria like volunteering 100 hours.

“What we require is that 60 of those 100 hours come serving your own home community and then the next 40 you earn in country with Global Citizen Adventure Corps and BU global studies,” Freeman explained.

The Global Citizen Adventure Corps has traveled to countries like Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Guatemala. They’ve done work with a women’s cooperative, a dental program, and even an organic vegetable farm.

If you know someone doing good in their community, you can nominate them for the Community Champion award by clicking here.