»Pre-Conference Programs

ETC's 3rd Annual Service-Learning Experience

The Sustainable Tourism Lab

Volunteer with the Broad Street Heritage Project

Wed., Feb. 3, 2010, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

(Limited to 40 participants. The cost is $80, which includes lunch, transportation, and a $20 donation to the project.)

"The Voluntourism Day is the best way to network and meet travel planners, tour operators, suppliers and destinations in a non-threatening, service format while benefiting the local community and self!”  —Christine Luskin, Vice President of Sales, Alumni Holidays

"I will treasure the memories [of ETC's 2009 Service-Learning Day] for a long time to come. It definitely was the highlight of the conference for me. I am going to continue looking for ways to volunteer in my personal life, and also how to incorporate more of this type of programming in to my tour offerings." —Christel Pailet, Director of Alumni Travel, UCLA Alumni Association

The ETC Service-Learning Day was a highpoint for many at the 2009 Conference. Join the annual pre-conference Service-Learning Day in 2010 for an opportunity to "shed your suits" and enjoy an activity that gives back to the community. You'll be making an important difference for Rhode Island, and you can socialize and network at the same time with other committed colleagues.

The 2010 Service-Learning Day is calling all educational travel program shapers and makers to lend their expertise in landscaping a real American tourism destination. Join Andrew Pierson, Broad St. Initiative Coordinator, and Dr. Robert Billington, founder of the not-for-profit Blackstone Valley Tourism Council (BVTC), in the “Broad Street Regeneration Initiative,” which was awarded a Preserve America grant to transform this major commercial area of North America’s first industrialized site into a sustainable, geotourism destination.


The Broad Street Regeneration initiative is in part spearheaded by BVTC, which earned the 2008 Tourism for Tomorrow Destination Award for its progress in revitalizing the nine communities along Rhode Island’s Blackstone River Valley. Once the birthplace of America’s Industrial Revolution, the region had become known as home to the Western Hemisphere’s first polluted (declared “dead”) river, abandoned businesses, high unemployment and disenfranchised local communities following the affects of de-industrialization. BVTC took a destination stewardship approach to preserving the area's natural, cultural and historical heritage and “awakening” the communities to their new economic potential.

Building on this success, BVTC is now working specifically with  the historically rooted Broad Street Heritage Corridor communities of Central Falls, Cumberland, and Pawtucket to engage local leaders, businesses, residents, and other community organizations towards the regeneration of this major commercial corridor. Within its 3-mile stretch is a melting pot of immigrant cultures, from the European and Asian immigrants of the 1700 and 1800s to the Latin American, Caribbean, and African immigrants of today, some of whom you’ll work with on ETC’s service-learning day.

We’ll tap into your educational tourism expertise and imagination as you assist with tourism development ideas and programming, marketing strategies, and “whole place-making” activities. The morning begins with Dr. Billington guiding a 15-minute local bus ride to Pawtucket, where you’ll take a walking tour to get an overview of Broad Street. The area is home to businesses, residences, churches, schools, industry, parks and government—and many of the buildings are reflective of the street’s history with a number listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. You’ll also learn about environmental efforts, such as plans for leveraging a recent EPA brownfields grant to turn cleanup areas into sustainable reuse sites.

ETC volunteers will be divided into several groups to assist Broad Street residents with hands-on projects that may range from community gardening (yes, in February), historic restoration projects, helping immigrant small business owners with inventory/business strategies, façade improvement projects, and neighborhood cleanup. The group will reconnect for lunch at a local ethnic restaurant and participate in a brainstorming workshop on sustainable, educational tourism development for the Broad Street area. In the afternoon, you’ll meet with local business owners, entrepreneurs, and artisans to lend your talent and knowledge in small-group consultations. The day will conclude with a guided bus ride back to the Westin Providence Hotel. A follow-up discussion will ensue at the conference on Friday, February 5, on how to turn a destination into a story for those interested in participating.

*Please note that the day’s projects listed herein are subject to change.

Andrew Pierson began working for the Blackstone Valley Tourism Council in September of 2009. As the Broad Street Initiative Coordinator, he has had his ‘feet on the street’ getting to know local residents and business owners and working with planning professionals to promote and improve the neighborhood. Current projects include a new bike path, multiple community gardens, brownfield cleanups, small business grants, and more. He also works as a coordinator of the KeepSpace Initiative that seeks to create high quality, affordable, and safe neighborhoods in Pawtucket and Central Falls, RI. His previous experience includes working in the Washington Park neighborhood of Chicago to actively engage local residents in a design process to create a neighborhood masterplan and design a new community center. Pierson graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2008 with a master's degree  in both Architecture and Urban Planning.