The Detroit Initiative: Learning About Diversity Through Academic Service Learning

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

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

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Detroit Initiative Courses

• Psychology 317/318 Community Research
• Psychology 319/320 Empowering Families,
  Empowering Communities
• Psychology 325 Practicum in Multicultural
  Communities

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Community Sites

• Head Start/Family Development Project
• Communities in Schools
• Latino Family Services
• Peoples Community Services
• Central Detroit Christian
• Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation

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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

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Necessary Criteria for Academic Service Learning
(Howard, 2001).
Academic Learning
Meaningful Community Service
Civic Learning
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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).

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Detroit Initiative CourseCommunity Research

• Three topics research on communities, research
  with communities, research for communities
• Community service learning
• Action research project
• Guest speakers
• Poster Session

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?