1 / 16

Integrating Public Policy CBR into a Civic Engagement Minor

Integrating Public Policy CBR into a Civic Engagement Minor. for the Bonner/FIPSE Civic Engagement Academic Initiative conference November 5, 2006 Lisa Whitaker Center for Community Development & Social Justice Lynchburg College. Overview.

rosie
Download Presentation

Integrating Public Policy CBR into a Civic Engagement Minor

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Integrating Public Policy CBR into a Civic Engagement Minor for the Bonner/FIPSE Civic Engagement Academic Initiative conference November 5, 2006 Lisa Whitaker Center for Community Development & Social Justice Lynchburg College

  2. Overview • A few facts about the minor (more details in your notebook) • Very brief history of CBR at LC • Existing & new courses in the minor that have a CBR component • How the new public policy emphasis in CBR changes the conversations we have • Some very recent examples & lessons learned from the brokering process with public policy CBR projects

  3. Why civic engagement? • By civic engagement we mean to become citizens in a democracy who are caring and involved, regardless of partisan ideology • We strive to help our students (and ourselves) become wise, not just smart • Our most cherished traditions strongly indicate it is wise to be compassionate and to care about the lives of others • Care not just in our hearts, but in our actions (activism)

  4. The CCDSJ at LC • Center for Community Development & Social Justice created in late 1990’s by Dr. Tom Seaman • COPC (HUD’s OUP) • Jessie Ball duPont funding also helped establish the COPC • Institutionalization in 2005 • Bonner program since 2004-05

  5. Continuum of Engagement • SERVE (voluntarism) • Service-learning (CCDSJ) • Bonner program and Civic Engagement minor (these span the continuum) • Social entrepreneurship internship • Community-based research (and policy activism)

  6. Minor in Civic Engagement at LC • 21 credits (6 credits overlap Gen Ed rqrmnts & 1 credit overlaps with BLP course rqrment) • Housed in the Political Science Department • Utilizes 19 credits of existing coursework with some adaptation (GS 220, Capstone) • Created two new 1-credit courses: • Introduction to Civic Participation and Community-Based Research • Putting Civic Engagement in Perspective

  7. Existing Courses in the CE Minor with a CBR Component • SOC209 – Applied Sociology – the professors teaching this course for the last 3 years have incorporated CBR projects, although not all will have a clear emphasis on public policy • Examples of projects: Meals on Wheels, Detox Data, Buprenorphine, Perception of Youth Gangs • GS220 – Exploring Social Entrepreneurship • Elements being added: • Defining public policy • News summaries & policy brief items (esp. “scope of the problem”) in the area the student has identified and researched as “the one change you would like to make in the world” • www.policyoptions.org

  8. Two New Courses • (NEW) GS307 – Introduction to Civic Participation & Community-Based Research • Historical roots of CBR • Principles of CBR • Differences between CBR & traditional research • The “purple book” text • Community partnerships & ABCD model • Identifying community & policy-maker needs for studies (nonprofit directory update while identifying their project) • (NEW) GS430 – Putting Civic Engagement in Perspective • Reflective course for all graduating students in the minor (from various majors) to come together to share their experiences as they complete their capstone projects • Builds collegiality • Forum for sharing & developing strategies for completing CBR projects • Cross-disciplinary discussion/analysis of the policies & models they’re encountering • Talking to students in GS 220 and GS 307

  9. Capstone is CBR Project • Capstone Course or GS311 (Ind. Study) • Research proposals are approved by the CE minor steering committee • Actual project is underway; will likely include policy analysis and/or research into best practice models • Total: 6-9 credits or more of CBR is integrated into the minor

  10. Other CBR Connections • Bonner Leaders Program (CBR as direct service) • Independent Study option for all students • New Student-Faculty Research Coordinator position (Dr. Allison Jablonski) works with the CBR project broker (CCDSJ) • Student Scholar Showcase – new Experiential Learning category (CBR projects can also be entered as straight research) • Variety of courses not in the minor have integrated CBR (Advanced Research Methods in Sociology, Population Studies, and others)

  11. Student Focus Group • “The minor brings together courses across disciplines and capstones too.” • “It covers issues in today’s world.” • “The minor would fill a gap at LC and you would be DOING in the community.” • “It’s very Bonneresque and I would have taken it.” • “I like the community project – real world – at the end.”

  12. Student Feedback • Challenges: • Nursing and education majors with credit intensive courseloads found it a bit daunting but were also among the most interested • “Although this would be very helpful and relevant, it would be very difficult to add into a 4-year program.” – Nursing student • Our response was to allow substitutions for the research methods course • Student feedback will continue to be important to the evolution of the minor

  13. The Public Policy Focus: Changing the Conversation • Before Public Policy CBR, primarily interviewing & surveying exec directors of non-profits (Nonprofit Directory) for research ideas • Now, talking with policy makers, advocates, neighborhood groups, & organizers more often (in addition to non-profits) • Great conversations: Policy-makers & policy-influencers enjoy being asked about the issues they really care about – often leads to unexpected connections • Example: The city manager/urban planner & the environmental scientist (“all growth is good” vs. low impact development contracts

  14. Changing the Conversation • Non-profit folks can “glaze over” a bit when you mention public policy research • probe re: regulations, laws,& best practices • Grassroots organizers may call you a “policy wonk” • probe for their ideas by asking what kinds of information would be powerful in their work • emphasize the passion of students rather than the academics

  15. Other Sources for Project Ideas (Community-Generated) • New grant projects underway • SA in pregnant women • Policy questions such as: When should women be at risk of losing their kids? How do we treat them for SA & make sure they’re getting prenatal healthcare when laws require mandatory reporting? • Funding allocation for Virginia shelters • DHCD as somewhat silent partner • Long-term project • Never overpromise • Jail Diversion Alliance • Great project, early bumpiness (students with lots of initiative can scare the partner) • On all grant initiatives, identify & work with the evaluator

  16. Learning from Dad • The most important qualities (also great for this kind of work) • Generosity & ability to concentrate

More Related