When Abigail Voller first imagined Humanities Camp, she envisioned more than just a summer enrichment program. She imagined possibility.

“I wanted students to feel empowered,” said Voller, an instructor II in Mississippi State’s English department and director of the annual camp. “I wanted them to see their communities through new eyes.”

Now in its fourth year, Humanities Camp returns to campus this week with its signature blend of hands-on learning, creative exploration and community-driven problem solving. Open to rising high school juniors and seniors, the weeklong experience connects students with MSU faculty and peers as they dive deep into literature, history, art and culture—all while building skills they can take back to their hometowns.

For Voller, the idea took root during a College of Arts and Sciences leadership meeting where faculty were brainstorming ways to make the humanities more visible and accessible. Having attended Mississippi Governor’s School as a teen and later teaching there, she was asked to build a camp from scratch. Her answer? A resounding “yes.”

Then came the pandemic. But Voller never lost sight of the camp’s potential.

“In the wake of so much isolation, we needed a return to the familiar,” she said. “Summer camp can be that space—joyful, communal, full of learning. On a more complex level, if you search for camps that focus on the humanities, there is a serious dearth of options. Given how many renowned writers, artists and other humanities experts hail from the state, we need to fill this gap and showcase all Mississippi has to offer.”

During camp, students visit downtown Starkville to meet with local business owners and nonprofits, and work in small groups to identify “pain points” in their home communities. From food insecurity to financial literacy, they research the issues and develop community-based solutions they can implement after the camp ends.

At previous camps, one group pitched reading programs to improve literacy in underserved schools. Another proposed community-driven weekend events to divert teens from crime and keep kids connected. Others created a digital resource hub to help peers navigate college costs.

“Every year, students leave here with ideas they can actually use—and a sense that they can make a difference,” Voller said. “Every summer, at least one scholar tells me they hadn’t considered college before this. Every year, someone discovers a field they didn’t know existed and wants to study it.”

Originally trained in music education at Mississippi College, Voller, a Columbus native, taught band, chorus, drama and journalism before earning her M.A. in English at MSU. She’s now pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education leadership at MSU and credits her colleagues in English for giving her the space to grow—as a scholar, teacher and program builder.

“I fell in love with the English department and MSU’s campus and decided to stay in a place that truly valued lifelong learning,” Voller said. “I’ve been incredibly lucky to work in a department that values innovation. That’s how Humanities Camp came to be.”

Voller said her enthusiasm for students stems from their ability to see life through “far less jaded eyes than adults.”

This year marked Voller’s debut of a course she’s been wanting to offer: Literature and Pop Culture. “As a bonus, one of my very first Humanities Camp scholars was in the class, and it felt like everything had come full circle.”

“Students are often more hopeful than we are,” she said. “They see possibilities that we might miss. At Humanities Camp, we get to help them turn that vision into action.”