Nicole M. Koonce, M.A.

1. Summer 2008 InternshipInternship Site: Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities, University of Illinois at ChicagoDirector: Fabricio Balcazar, Ph.D. Nicole M. Koonce, M.A.

2. Purpose of STEP=UP Service & Community Internship • Collaborate with knowledgeable professionals in the academia, public, and private sectors whose work impacts individuals in the wider community • Develop insight into role of academia in community • Expand knowledge about research applications that positively impact the community served

3. Center for Capacity Building on Minorities with Disabilities Research (CCBMDR) • Housed in the Department of Disability and Human Development at UIC • Funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDDR) • Devoted to capacity building of state and community based agencies that serve minorities with disabilities • Dedicated to promoting the inclusion of minority groups in research and developing research models that address the needs of diverse populations

4. Research at CCBMDR • Six research and training projects currently active at CCBMDR: • Project A - Capacity building of community-based organizations for participatory research and program evaluation • Project B - Racial identity and cultural mistrust as psychocultural correlates of rehabilitation success for African Americans • Project C - Disability and race in self views of Latinos and African Americans with disabilities

5. Research at CCBMDR cont. • Project D - Assessment instruments employed in vocational rehabilitation services • Project E - A review of standards for competent studies in disabilities and rehabilitation. • Training - The Center conducts cultural competence training workshops and dissemination efforts

6. CCBMDR Staff • The staff who taught me the “Lessons from the Geese” Claudia Garcia, Asma Ali, Nelson Portillo, Yolanda Suarez, Tina Ritzler, Celestine Willis, Edurne Garcia, Ximena Bravo, Fabricio Balcazar

7. Service to Project/Colleagues:Getting reports done • Lessons from the Geese in action • Lesson from the Geese #1: Geese fly in a V formation – it gives them 71% more flying range than if they flew alone • My contributions: • Entered information from previous data collection for inclusion in annual report • Conducted systematic manual review of cultural competence training provided by state agencies • Drafted portion of an executive summary for inclusion in annual report

8. Lessons learned from CCBMDR • Like geese, hang together and we’ll get much farther • Everyone chipped in to make sure that essential portions of the data and reporting were taken care of • Everyone’s contribution was valued • Who was served: Center, individual colleagues, state agencies (in compilation of cultural competence training practices), VR counselors

9. Research and Community Service:Cultural Competence Training • Lesson from the geese #2: The geese flying in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. • My contributions/experience • Observed training conducted by Celestine Willis • Training provided to WGCIL with the goal of increasing outreach to minorities with disabilities in their community • Assisted as needed • Provided feedback to trainer

10. Lessons learned from Cultural Competence Training • As geese encourage each other to new heights, we must encourage each other to spread our “wings” • Beliefs and attitudes about race and culture are tough topics and must be handled with sensitivity and respect • It’s okay to keep talking about difficult subjects • At the end of the day people can make goals that stretch them beyond their comfort level • Who was served: State agency, counselors, and minority community members with disabilities

11. Community Based Research: Racial Privilege and Discrimination study • The purpose of the study: • To gather and understand participant’s first reactions to a set of questions about their perceptions of and experiences with racial privilege and discrimination • Short 2 – 10 minute audio-taped interviews were conducted with individuals from White, African-American, Latino, and Asian American backgrounds in the city of Chicago • Use data to provide an empirical base and inform cultural competence training provided to state agencies

12. Racial Privilege and Discrimination study cont. • My contributions/experience: • Provided input on the research protocol and implementation of the data collection plan • Worked with my colleagues, Shawn Dimpfl, Ximena Bravo, Asma Ali, and Violeta Luque, to collect interviews from everyday individuals all over the city of Chicago • Together conducted 80 interviews • Worked with Fabricio Balcazar, Ph.D., Tina Ritzler, Ph.D., and Shawn Dimpfl to develop preliminary coding categories for study

13. Violeta, Shawn, and I collecting data in Chinatown After a long and challenging morning of collecting data we were still able to smile.

14. Lessons learned from Racial Privilege and Discrimination study • Lessons from the Geese # 3: Geese take turns being the lead goose AND when the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation, and another goose flies to the point position. • The lesson: Empower everyone to step out and take turns doing hard and demanding tasks • What I learned: Just like geese, people are dependent upon each others’ unique gifts, talents, and abilities. People also need others to believe that they can get the job done.

15. What I learned continued: • Getting participation for an audio-taped interview about race, privilege, and discrimination is hard work • How to accept repeated rejection • How to develop a strategy with my colleagues to minimize rejection (for sanity’s sake most of all) • How to hand the baton to another team member to attack the data collection with fresh eyes and resolve • How to develop a coding scheme for qualitative research • There is great satisfaction in giving voice to someone’s life experience so most of all I learned to listen

16. CCBMDR personified theLessons from the Geese • The V formation – The Center is not only interested in their research but have a genuine interest in the community stakeholders they serve. Those stakeholders are as much a part of the “V” as the staff. • Honking – Every person I encountered at CCBMDR was encouraging beyond all measure. They made me believe that I was a part of their team. • Take the lead & take turns – Everyone brought great energy, skills, and talent to the process. Thank you all very much!!