Salve Regina University has collaborated with the Newport Cliff Walk Commission to build a student “Cliff Walk Ambassadors” program, a year-round initiative that integrates academic and practical experience so students can both learn about and contribute to Newport’s cherished National Heritage Trail.
One of Rhode Island’s most famous attractions, the Newport Cliff Walk draws 1.3 million visitors a year with an annual economic impact estimated at $252 million. As the Walk’s largest abutter, Salve Regina has had a decades-long relationship with the City’s Cliff Walk Commission.
“We have forged a great working relationship with Salve Regina over many joint projects,” said Peter Janaros, Chair of the Cliff Walk Commission. “We wanted to formalize that into more of a long-term commitment by extending our collaborations over multiple semesters.”
That happened in April 2023, when representatives from the Commission and Salve Regina established a working group and undertook the first extended initiative – establishing a Cliff Walk Ambassadors program in which Salve students act as guides on the Cliff Walk, engaging with visitors from around the world.
“This program is a natural fit,” said Sam Sacco, senior lecturer in Salve’s Department of Business and Economics, and the University’s liaison to the Cliff Walk Commission. “It meets the Commission’s desire to educate visitors on the Cliff Walk but doesn’t require any of the City’s budget. For Salve, it reflects the experiential, multi-disciplinary learning model at the heart of our Salve Compass program that helps students from any major build knowledge and apply it in the real world as they move toward their careers.”
The three-credit academic internship was launched in Fall 2023 with five students. It includes classroom instruction through four different academic departments. Dr. Jameson Chace, professor of cultural, environmental, and global studies, taught the students about specific birds found along the trail, history professor Dr. John Quinn, the history of the Cliff Walk, Sacco, senior lecturer of business and economics, the economic impact of the Cliff Walk, and Dr. Tara Brooke-Watkins, assistant professor of theatre, worked with students to build presentation skills. Upon completing that coursework, the students spent 120 hours on the Cliff Walk over the semester.
Community partner support for the summer season enhances The Great Elephant Migration exhibit along the Cliff Walk
With successful completion of the fall and spring semesters, the program was expanded to meet the goal of running year-round. Contributions from community partners including Discover Newport and several private donors funded stipends for four student Cliff Walk Ambassadors and uniforms. The University made housing available so students could cover the Cliff Walk’s busiest season, summer.
As instructors prepared for the summer component, they learned that Salve was going to be part of a public art project and fundraising initiative in Newport that would bring a herd of life-sized elephant sculptures to campus, exhibited along the Cliff Walk, a project presented by Art&Newport. Said Sacco, “It seemed like a great opportunity to expand the student ambassadors’ knowledge so they could be docents not only for the Cliff Walk, but for the Great Elephant Migration too.”
Jillian Kwitkiwski is one of four Salve student Cliff Walk Ambassadors in the inaugural summer program. “This program gave me the opportunity to be a part of a significant public art installation. I’m happy to be here representing Salve’s art department and helping visitors learn more about the exhibition and what they’re seeing on the Cliff Walk,” she said.
As the Cliff Walk Ambassadors program rounds out its first year, Salve president Kelli J. Armstrong celebrated its success. “The significance of a program like the Cliff Walk Ambassadors is that it does good on many levels. It enables our students to learn while they do meaningful work that contributes to their community. It helps visitors not only enjoy, but also understand the Cliff Walk. And it’s flexible enough to support projects like the Great Elephant Migration, giving us more opportunities to tie into the critical concerns of our Mercy institution; The Earth, women, nonviolence, immigration, and anti-racism.”
Source: Salve Regina University
