A monthly field trip experience offers students a free and accessible way to get off campus and explore Fort Worth.
Road Frogs, a program created by the Department of Leadership and Student Involvement earlier this semester, is gradually gaining traction among students who don’t have cars or resources to go far from campus.
“Every month, it’s a different experience,” Jasmine Jennings-Rentz, Assistant Director of Leadership and Experiential Learning and founder of Road Frogs, said. “Fort Worth is a big city and there’s so much to do. I want students to have one less barrier for them to explore the community with free trips and transportation.”
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(Courtesy of Jasmine Jennings-Rentz)
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(Courtesy of Jasmine Jennings-Rentz)
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(Courtesy of Jasmine Jennings-Rentz)
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(Courtesy of Jasmine Jennings-Rentz)
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The program offers student leadership opportunities by allowing student leaders to facilitate trips. Most trips are student-led and have someone from the Leadership and Experiential Learning team for additional support. All students can sign up for events two weeks before the event through Engage.
“Road Frogs has expanded my leadership skills,” Hollie Gomez, student facilitator for Road Frogs, said. “As important as the trips are, the relationships we build with one another are what make the trips worthwhile.”
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Students and faculty get ready for the Road Frogs bike ride with President Pullin. (Courtesy of Mallory Odom)
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Hollie and fellow Road Frogs take a selfie during their bike ride on trinity trails. (Courtesy of Hollie Gomez)
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The program partnered with theEnd and theCrew for their first field trip in August 2023 to the Coyote Drive-in Theater, taking about 120 students. They sponsored a bike ride with President Pullin in September and are partnering with the United Latinx Association to go to the Dia de los Muertos en Fort Worth Festival on Oct. 28. Check out their field trip schedule for the remainder of fall 2023 and stay tuned for their spring 2024 schedule.
“As a college student, managing finances can be a challenge sometimes,” Hollie said. “Everything has a cost and most students don’t have cars to go off campus. I love the inclusiveness this program offers here at TCU.”
Jasmine said her long-term goal for the program is to expand outside of Fort Worth and hopefully explore other major cities in Texas, such as Dallas and Austin. She said she wants students to see themselves in Fort Worth, encouraging Road Frogs to collaborate with more organizations to expand their reach among student populations. Trips like to the Cowgirl Museum, scheduled for March 22, 2024, will hopefully connect to specific populations on campus, such as women.
“Not only am I learning what students need, but we also get to explore Fort Worth together,” Jasmine said. “It’s really challenging me to research heavily and see what’s out there, but also connect to our different student populations on campus.”
