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The Detroit Initiative: Learning About Diversity Through Academic Service Learning

The Detroit Initiative: Learning About Diversity Through Academic Service Learning. Lorraine Gutierrez Laura Kohn-Wood Stacey Teller. Overview of Talk : The Detroit Initiative. Background and History of the Detroit Initiative Pedagogical Philosophy Curricular Models Courses Research

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The Detroit Initiative: Learning About Diversity Through Academic Service Learning

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  1. The Detroit Initiative: Learning About Diversity Through Academic Service Learning Lorraine Gutierrez Laura Kohn-Wood Stacey Teller

  2. Overview of Talk : The Detroit Initiative • Background and History of the Detroit Initiative • Pedagogical Philosophy • Curricular Models • Courses • Research • Evaluation of the Impact of the Detroit Initiative Service Learning Model AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  3. The Detroit Initiative • Partnership between faculty, students at University of Michigan, and Community Based Organizations in Detroit • Neighborhood Based • Academic service learning, community based research and action AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  4. Detroit Initiative Courses • Psychology 317/318: Community Research • Psychology 319/320: Empowering Families, Empowering Communities • Psychology 325: Practicum in Multicultural Communities AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  5. Community Sites • Head Start/Family Development Project • Communities in Schools • Latino Family Services • People’s Community Services • Central Detroit Christian • Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  6. Pedagogical Philosophy • Service Learning joins two critical concepts – “service” or community action and “efforts to learn from that action and connect learning to existing knowledge (Stanton, 1998). • Three Criteria of Service Learning (Howard, 2001): • 1. Relevant and Meaningful Service with the Community • 2. Enhanced Academic Learning • 3. Purposeful Civic Learning AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  7. Necessary Criteria for Academic Service Learning (Howard, 2001). Academic Learning Meaningful Community Service Civic Learning AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  8. Service Learning vs. Volunteer Service • “… participants see their [service] questions in the larger context of issues of social justice and social policy – rather than in the context of charity” (Kendall, 1990). • Change-Oriented Agenda/Transformative • Experiential Education/Academic Excellence • Preparation for Multicultural, Democratic and Purposeful Citizenship • “I serve you in order that I may learn from you. You accept my service in order that you may teach me.” (Stanton, 1992). AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  9. Detroit Initiative Course:Community Research • Three topics: research on communities, research with communities, research for communities • Community service learning • Action research project • Guest speakers • Poster Session AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  10. Detroit Initiative Course: Empowering Families, Empowering Communities • Weekly Topics/Diversity Learning • Community Entry/Engagement • Family/Community/Social Identity • Empowerment Theory (PE; Zimmerman, 1995) • Social Inequity/Social Power • Economic Empowerment • Coalition Building • Empowerment & Activism • Empowerment through Arts AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  11. Empowering Families, Empowering Communities: Course Structure • Didactic Material (Readings, Discussion, Midterm) • Experiential Exercises (diversity learning in action) • Guest Speakers (Exemplars) • Community Assessment (Final Project) • Site-specific Groups (Journaling) • Site Presentations (Final Group Project) AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  12. Detroit Initiative: Family Development Project • Family Development Project – A partnership between the University of Michigan and Detroit Head Start Agencies • Principal Investigators • Michael S. Spencer • Laura Kohn-Wood • Project Coordinator • Stacey L. Teller AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  13. Family Development Project (FDP)Models • Community-Based Research Partnership • University of Michigan: School of Social Work, Department of Psychology • Detroit Head Start Partners: Detroit Public Schools, New St. Paul Tabernacle, City of Detroit Department of Health and Human Services • Community Service-Learning Initiative • Undergraduate students • Masters level social work students • Doctoral level social work students AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  14. FDP: Transformative Research Process • Original research focus: risk factors for mental health problems • Skepticism and dialogue • Re-examination of research paradigm • Listening to needs of Head Start • Integration of community-based research and service-learning models AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  15. FDP: Integrating Service Learning • Need for tangible and immediate benefits • Greatest need in the classrooms • Direct emotional/behavioral interventions • Undergraduate Volunteer Assistants • Assist teachers and children in classroom • Assist with research protocols • Graduate Student Field Placement • Research project liaisons • Practice Fieldwork • Supervision of undergraduates AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  16. FDP: Multicultural Service-Learning Curricular Model • Weekly seminar: Multicultural Family Advocacy Training and Preparation • Student curriculum based on needs identified by Head Start • Community Research and Advocacy Projects • Dance Movement Program • Selectively Mute Children • Gifted Children • Child Attendance/Parent Involvement Study • Technology development project AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  17. Detroit Initiative Service Learning: Evaluation of Impact • Areas of Inquiry • Motivations to take course • Involvement in campus activities • Overall social values • Experience with inter and intra group contact • Sense of ethnic, gender and other identities • Social justice attitudes • Construal of complex situations • Interest in future activities • Interest in confronting future injustice • Comfort with confronting injustice AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  18. Methods • Questionnaire at three time points: • Second class session • Final class session • 4-6 month follow up • Focus group or individual interview one year after course AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  19. Description of the Sample • n = 40 (time one), 23 (time two) • Median Age = 20.5 years • Gender: 68% Female, 32% Male • Race/Ethnicity: 50% European American, 50% Students of Color AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  20. Results • Non-statistical trends in desired direction: • Confidence in confronting injustice • Interest in cultural activities • Interest in helping others • Belief that societal oppression exists • Commitment to social values • Statistically significant change • Comfort with conflict AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  21. In their words... • How I have used this information? • I have been tutoring children in Harlem and thinking about how to relate to children who have grown up in different circumstances. • Things I learned in class now affect the way I look at some people. • Related class discussion on exiting/entering community to volunteer work. AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  22. Continued . . . • What I learned? • I learned more about the central Detroit area and the people who live there. • Understanding the influence of community structure and how societal ideals affect all people. • The potential of low-income kids to be successful. • You have to understand the community and where they are at before you can help them. • The hard work and commitment it takes to organize communities/citizens for change. AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  23. Continued . . . • Would you recommend this class? • Yes, because the methods taught will help in any setting when doing research in communities. • Yes, excellent experience, especially if you have the opportunity to be in the minority as a white person. • No, the coursework was not very interesting or worthwhile. AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  24. Summary of Results • Students were able to recognize gains in understanding of diversity concepts. • Service activity provided positive interactions with individuals that are ethnically and racially different. • Recognition of the strengths in low-income communities of color. • Gains in skills and perspectives to work in a multicultural context. AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

  25. Detroit Initiative Service Learning • Questions for audience discussion: • How do you evaluate the effectiveness of service learning? • How can we bring together the goals of building diversity and the goals of strengthening democracy? • How do we create learning activities that embody/incorporate ideals of empowerment and community-based research? AAC&U: Detroit Initiative

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